The Congress party in Jammu and Kashmir is grappling with a major political dilemma ahead of the October 24 Rajya Sabha elections, after the coalition partner National Conference, "ditched" the party in allocating a "safe" seat.
The National Conference's (NC) refusal to allot a "safe" seat to Congress has left the party leadership feeling "sidelined and humiliated," with no clear decision yet on whether to support the NC candidates or abstain from voting.
Wishing anonymity, a senior Congress leader and former Minister told The International Business Times that the party is weighing its options carefully after the NC allegedly went back on its earlier commitment to allocate one winnable seat to its ally in the upcoming biennial elections for four Upper House seats — vacant since 2021.
"The Congress leadership feels that continued subservience to NC's unilateral decisions will erode its political identity and alienate its cadre base, especially in the Jammu region," the leader said.
According to sources, the NC offered the Congress what was described as an "unsafe seat" — the one being contested by BJP's J&K president, Sat Pal Sharma. Viewing the offer as a "trap," the Congress declined to field a candidate, calling it an attempt to push the party into an "embarrassing situation."
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president and former MP Tariq Hameed Karra accused the NC of reneging on its earlier commitment made with the top leadership of the Congress.
"If there were commitments at the level of Sonia Gandhi and Kharge, the NC should not have backtracked from them," Karra said. "Our leadership decided not to contest elections under such circumstances."
However, Karra clarified that no final decision on boycotting the elections had been taken yet.
"It's premature to conclude that we are boycotting. We've informed the central leadership about yesterday's meeting and the prevailing political situation in J&K. The final call will be taken by the high command," Karra told The International Business Times when asked whether Congress will stay away from voting on October 24.
Karra further revealed that the last formal communication between the two allies took place in New Delhi between Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and AICC general secretary Nasir Hussain. "We sent a joint letter signed by CLP leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir and me to Omar Sahib. He then asked us to talk to Dr. Farooq Sahib. The tone of Omar's letter clearly indicated that they were only willing to discuss the fourth seat," Karra explained.
A senior Congress functionary, speaking anonymously, said the NC had "taken Congress support for granted." He added, "Despite being coalition partners, the NC ignored us in meaningful power-sharing. This isn't about winning or losing; it's about respect within the alliance."
The leader said the Congress is currently considering three options — abstaining from the polls, selectively voting to signal displeasure, or seeking a last-minute understanding with the NC to prevent a public fallout. "Each option has its risks. Abstention could indirectly help the BJP, while supporting NC candidates may look like surrendering political dignity," he added.
Alliance Fault Lines Widen
Political analysts say the episode has exposed deep cracks in the NC-Congress alliance. "The Rajya Sabha elections have brought the fault lines to the surface. The Congress is torn between demonstrating alliance loyalty and preserving its political relevance in J&K's rapidly evolving landscape," said a political analyst.
In the 90-member J&K Assembly, the NC has 42 MLAs and Congress 6, together holding 48 seats. With the backing of five Independents and the CPI(M), the alliance has a total of 53 members. The BJP has 28, the PDP 3, and the AIP, People's Conference, and AAP one each. The People's Conference chief, Sajad Gani Lone, who is MLA from Handwara, has already announced to boycott the elections.
Currently, the Assembly strength stands at 88, following the death of a BJP MLA and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacating the Budgam seat, which he retained from Ganderbal.
Given the numbers, the NC is comfortably placed to secure three of the four Rajya Sabha seats, while the fourth — offered to Congress — could tilt in the BJP's favour if the opposition votes are divided or Congress abstains.
