Azad’s Autobiography Reveals the Power Struggle Behind the Formation of J&K Government in 2002

06-04-2023 : Former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad claimed in his autobiography titled “Azad, An Autobiography” that the late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed misused his “generosity” to become the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir in 2002. According to Azad’s account, he had a letter of support from 42 MLAs to become the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir in 2002. However, a few hours before his meeting with the governor to discuss the date of oath-taking, he thought of asking Mufti’s party to join the government. Azad believed that with Mufti on board, the government would be even more stable and could perform better, and Mufti’s MLAs could be co-opted into the government.

Azad claims that Mufti made him wait, saying he needs 3-4 days to think over the proposal. However, he confirmed his participation in Azad’s government when he and Dr. Manmohan Singh, then the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, met him in Srinagar. Mufti’s participation in the government was confirmed during a meeting called by Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi for announcing the alliance. However, during the meeting, Mufti got up in an agitated state when he was asked to give names of 5-6 names from his party who could be accommodated as ministers. He then exclaimed that he thought he had been invited to be the Chief Minister.

Azad intervened and requested Sonia Gandhi that a power-sharing arrangement could be worked out by which he would be the Chief Minister for the first three years and Mufti for the next three years. However, Mufti insisted on being the Chief Minister for the first three years, and Sonia Gandhi ultimately agreed to his demand. This is how Mufti, whose party had come third in the elections with just 16 MLAs, became the Chief Minister, while Azad, despite having the support of 42 MLAs, had to settle for being a minister in Mufti’s government.

Azad has expressed regret over trusting Mufti and not spotting his deviousness earlier. His account provides a rare insight into the backroom politics and power struggles that often take place during the formation of governments in India.

#GhulamNabiAzad #MuftiMuhammadSayeed #JammuAndKashmir #IndianPolitics #Autobiography #PowerStruggle #PoliticalAlliance #ChiefMinister #Minister #BackroomPolitics #Deviousness #Regret