Finally National Conference Provincial President Devender Singh Rana has shown Peoples’ Alliance For Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) the way to counter the defection narrative of anti-PAGD and pro-BJP forces in Jammu region and in this non stop game of defections and counter defections Devender Singh Rana has virtually demonstrate a huge sense of political competition in Doda Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, the home constituency of his own brother Dr Jitendra Singh the BJP strongman in Jammu & Kashmir holding the position of Minister of State (MoS) in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and took away the posts of Chairpersons in two key districts – Ramban and Kishtwar. Notably Devender Singh Rana roped in key independent members including a retired bureaucrat Bashir Ahmad Runyal only a day before the elections for the posts of Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons in Ramban and Kishtwar district. Interestingly Rana’s major breakthrough foiled the attempt of anti-PAGD and pro-BJP forces to take away the posts of Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons in Ramban and Kishtwar districts. The leaders of National Conference and PDP should have done in Shopian, Budgam and Baramulla what Devender Singh Rana did in the election of Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons in Ramban and Kishtwar districts. Rana’s counter defection narrative demonstrated by him in Ramban and Kishtwar districts is undoubtedly a learning lesson for the leaders of both National Conference and PDP in Kashmir valley. Unfortunately the leaders of National Conference and PDP watched leaders of J&K Apni party taking away the support of their members through cross votes and defections helplessly in Shopian, Budgam and Baramulla districts instead of carrying out counter defection narrative to keep their flock together in all the three districts. Had National Conference or even PDP a man like Devender Rana in Kashmir , the parties won’t have conceded the posts of chairpersons in three valley districts- Shopian, Budgam and Baramulla.
National Conference General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar and Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani or for that matter PDP President Mehbooba Mufti or Ab Rehman Veeri and Gh Nabi Lone Hanjura could not carry out any anti-defecton narrative against the anti-PAGD forces the way Rana did it in Jammu province and decimated his opponents. Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti will have to take blames for not putting the right people at the right places for the right jobs. Presence of mind and mental alertness are the keys to success in politics anywhere in the world and same holds good for the leaders in Jammu & Kashmir
Had Abdullahs’or Mehbooba Mufti choosen a good political competitor like Rana for the position of Provincial Presidents for their parties in Kashmir , both the frontline regional mainstream parties won’t have lost control over posts of DDC Chairpersons in three valley districts one each in South, Central and North Kashmir despite having won majority of DDC seats in these districts. Unfortunately both National Conference General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar and Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani or for that matter PDP President Mehbooba Mufti or Ab Rehman Veeri and Gh Nabi Lone Hanjura could not carry out any anti-defecton narrative against the anti-PAGD forces the way Rana did it in Jammu province and decimated his opponents. Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti will have to take blames for not putting the right people at the right places for the right jobs. Presence of mind and mental alertness are the keys to success in politics anywhere in the world and same holds good for the leaders in Jammu & Kashmir
