NEW DELHI: Ghulam Nabi Azad, who will take over as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister next week, on Saturday said that bringing normality to the State was a challenge and the first priority. "Other things are by-products."

The "healing touch" was basically a Congress policy, Mr. Azad told presspersons in an informal chat here. He would be "totally sincere" to his allies and not allow them to weaken. At the same time, he would ensure that those not with the Congress were not discriminated against.

"Bringing normality is the challenge. No political party alone can shoulder the type of responsibilities and politicians of Jammu and Kashmir are expected to deliver. One cannot have so many fronts...from across and within."

On the "healing touch" policy, widely credited as the brainchild of outgoing Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed, he said the policy was part of the Congress manifesto, issued much before the last elections.

"A thing of the past"

He dismissed the suggestion that the people of the Valley were ill at ease with the Congress and, therefore, he could face difficulties in governance. "This sort of thing was there in the past. But now, Kashmir has also not been left untouched by globalisation."

Maintaining that the Ministry needed to be downsized, he, however, he refused to specify the exact strength of his Cabinet. The Mufti Mohammed Sayeed Cabinet had 35 members.

Mr. Azad parried questions on whether the Communist Party of India (Marxist) would join his Government. "I have not talked to them [CPI-M]," he said.

"A hardcore Congressman"

On reports that attempts were likely to be made to break some parties in the State, Mr. Azad said he was a hardcore Congressman and it was his duty to strengthen his organisation. "But as head of the State, I will never make any effort to break any party... We will give full opportunity to each political party to work for the people of the State... It will be a dichotomy if we are involved in bringing some groups into the political process and, at the same time, make attempts to weaken those who are already in it."

Asked who were his main political rivals, he quipped: "militants."

Mr. Azad will be sworn in on November 2.

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