Last week, the Congress appointed senior party leader from Jammu, Raman Bhalla, as the party’s working president of J&K Congress amid a rift between veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and incumbent J&K Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir. Bhalla, once loyal to Azad, is now considered to be close to Mir. Many say Bhalla’s appointment is a clear message from Congress top brass for Azad, a member of G-23 dissenting group of leaders, had recently raised eyebrows after he addressed public meetings triggering speculation about his future plans in the UT where assembly polls are due. A group of leaders, apparently close to Azad, had recently resigned from the Congress over their issues with Mir.
