Congress Set For Major Overhaul in Jammu and Kashmir, Kharge Appoints Observers
The party’s local leadership is divided into groups between Tariq Hameed Karra, the JK unit president, and former office bearers and senior leaders.
Published : November 10, 2025 at 10:23 PM IST
Srinagar: The Congress party in Jammu and Kashmir which is facing an internal discord for staying away from bypolls and its alliance with the National Conference is set for a major overhaul in the union territory to renew its grassroots connections and leadership.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for selection of District Congress Committee presidents in the 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to a notification issued by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, Kharge has approved the proposal for appointment of AICC observers as part of Sanghathan Srijan Abhiyan for four states for the selection of DCC presidents.
This also includes Jammu and Kashmir where the party is facing decline after its assembly elections in 2024 in which it won just six seats and didn't open its account in Jammu region, and its resentment with alliance NC which denied it a safe seat for Rajya Sabha in October this year.
The party’s local leadership in Jammu and Kashmir is divided into groups between Tariq Hameed Karra, the JK unit president, and former office bearers and senior leaders. This divided group was holding separate party functions with former Congress president Viqar Rasool and criticising Karra on social media.
However, a stern warning issued by Congress MP and Jammu and Kashmir Incharge Syed Nasir Hussain in his first address in Srinagar this year restrained these leaders and office bearers from openly speaking against Karra.
Several Congress leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have welcomed this decision of the leadership as they argue this move will help in reinvigorating the party at the grassroots in the UT and give opportunity to emergence of new grassroots leadership.
The leaders said the Congress party had appointed district presidents which were approved by All India Congress Committee leadership in 2022 when Viqar Rasool was appointed as president of the Jammu and Kashmir unit.
“After his replacement with Tariq Hameed Karra, district presidents and block level leadership of the party was not properly elected. This order has set in motion the exercise to elect district presidents in Jammu and Kashmir and set the party organisation in order,” a leader said.
A source in Congress said that as per the AICC rules and procedure leadership will issue dates for elections to district presidents for Jammu and Kashmir which will be held under the 22 observers appointed today by Kharge.
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