By Pervez Bari, Two Circles.net,
Bhopal: In the Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), ruled Madhya Pradesh the coveted post of Waqf Board has been won by a veteran Congress leader Ghufran Azam with the tacit supportof BJP. He was elected unopposed on Saturday by the after two nominated BJP members surprisingly switched sides and openly supported him.
The nominated BJP members Shafique Engineer and Moin Ansari not merely supported former parliamentarian and senior Congress leader Ghufran but the former went on to introduce the motion favouring him while the latter seconded it.
According to sources seven of the 13 members of the board holding allegiance to Congress assembled at Ghufran’s residence on Friday night which paved the way for his smooth sailing in the M. P. Waqf Board chairman election.
As such the BJP changed its stand realization that its candidate was in minority and its failure in getting support of any of the four elected members of NGOs and State Bar Council. None of the four BJP-backed members presented their candidature as the party recast its strategy at the eleventh hour and decided to back Ghufran in the election despite he belonged to Congress camp.
The day’s proceedings began quite expectedly with only Ghufran filing nomination for the post. A.G. Qureshi and Arif Aqueel, both Congress leaders, too did not submit their nominations. As no other candidate was in the fray owing to tacit support of the BJP members in the Board, Ghufran was declared elected unopposed by Election Officer Mohammed Hashim. Ghufran emerged winner soon after filing of nomination.
The newly elected Chairman while speaking to media persons put aside speculations regarding his reported proximity with the BJP and asserted he would be remain dedicated Congress worker throughout his life. The report was doing the rounds of the Board after the BJP-backed members introduced and seconded candidature of Ghufran.
It may be mentioned here that Ghufran after being sidelined has been targetting the Central Congress leadership and without mincing words blamed All India Congress Committee president Mrs. Sonia Gandhi for the ailment prevailing in the party.
Ghufran said the Waqf Board would function irrespective of party of politics and the sole objective would be to maintain and protect waqf properties. Azam when queried regarding encroachments upon waqf properties said a list of notified properties would be published soon and encroachers would be directed to leave the possession on first hand and if they continue the violation hammer would be taken against them.
The BJP-ruled State Government had earlier issued notification regarding formation of the Board after nominating remaining five members for the 13-member committee. Earlier, six members were elected on April 24.
Ghufran Azam, an agriculturist by profession, was at his peak of Congress politics at the all India level in the late seventies when Sanjay Gandhi, the heir apparent, held sway over Congressmen. He was Member of Lok Sabha, 1980-85 and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in June, 1989, re-elected in April, 1994. He holds MA and Ph.D. degrees in Arabic.
He was leader ofthe Indian Youth Congress delegation to Czechoslovakia in 1982 and delegation to U.S.S.R. for preliminary talks in preparation of late Mrs.Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi’s visit to USSR in 1976. He was General Secretary, All India Youth Congress, 1974-77; In-charge, Uttar Pradesh Youth Congress, 1974-77; functioned as President, Vice-President, Secretary, Organizer, etc. in a number of educational, sports, cultural and Karmachari Unions and Associations; Chief-De-Mission, Indian Hockey Team’s visit to Germany, France, Holland and Spain, 1982-83 Indian Hockey Team for Indo-Pakistan Hockey Series, 1988; invited as a delegate to the World Hindu Conference by Sri Lanka Government, 1983; All India Congress Committee Observer to Kumaon area elections since 1988.
Ghufran joined Congress Party in 1959; was President, Vikram University Students’ Union; President, Bhopal District Youth Congress, 1961-63 and General Secretary, 1959-61; Divisional Secretary, General Secretary, Vice-President and President of Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress at various times between 1963-74; Vice-President, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee since 1980 and its General Secretary, 1977-80. ([email protected])