From Speaker to likely Deputy CM: Tara Chand steers Cong ship in J&K

He may prove to be a saving grace for the Congress which was looking for a Hindu face for the post of Deputy Chief Minister.

He may prove to be a saving grace for the Congress which was looking for a Hindu face for the post of Deputy Chief Minister,keeping in mind the polarisation that the Amarnath agitation had caused in Jammu and Kashmir. He was a saving grace for the Congress in the 1996 elections too,when he was the only leader from the party who won the elections in Jammu district.

For 45-year-old Tara Chand,set to be Deputy CM of Jammu and Kashmir he took oath after Omar Abdullah on Monday it has been a long political journey. Born in Chakmalal area of Chhamb on April 25,1963,he entered politics after completing his matriculation. He held posts like general secretary of the SC/OBC Cell of Pradesh Congress Committee. Later,he rose to become general secretary of the Pradesh Youth Congress.

Tara Chands first major political break came in 1996,when he won the elections from Chhamb defeating the BJP candidate. Having saved the Congress in Jammu district,he was made the legislature party leader in 1996.

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In the 2002 elections,he defeated his rival from the National Conference Chhaju Ram by a huge margin of 10,334 votes. Given his acceptability among other political parties,he was made Assembly Speaker. He completed a term of six years.

This time when the wave of Amarnath agitation claimed many Congress stalwarts,including former deputy chief minister Mangat Ram Sharma,Tara Chands victory came as succour to the Congress which suffered a crushing defeat in the Jammu region. When 18 sitting MLAs,mostly from the Congress and NC,lost the elections in Jammu region,Tara Chand was among the three leaders from the region who

made a hat-trick,winning the Assembly seat.

The other two were National Panthers Party leader and former minister Harshdev Singh (Ramnagar) and NC leader Abdul Gani Malik (Gulabgarh).

A senior Congress leader from Chhamb area of Jammu district,the former Speaker has seen many ups and downs. In May last year,Congress MP from Jammu-Rajouri Madan Lal Sharma had alleged that two senior state party leaders,including Assembly Speaker Tara Chand,had escaped arrest in the Srinagar sex scandal probe only because of the intervention of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Sharmas allegations,which he made at a public rally in Akhnoor,created ripples in the state political circles.

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However,reacting to allegations,Tara Chand had said,Since the matter (sex scandal) is sub-judice,I would not comment.

After most of the senior Congress leaders lost the elections in Jammu this time,the Congress had been in a fix over nominating a name for the Deputy CMs post. This is what seems to be clinching the case for Tara Chand: he is a senior Congress leader,a three-time winner in the Assembly elections,a leader from the Scheduled Caste community and a Speaker who has been popular with all parties.

Tara Chand has become a mass leader across Jammu now. He is somebody who has made us all proud, said R K Kalsotra of from All India Confederation of SC/ST/OBC Organisations.