As the campaign for the Nagrota Assembly by-election gains momentum, the Congress is yet to decide whether it will campaign jointly with its coalition partner, the National Conference (NC), in the constituency.
While the ruling NC has already kick-started its campaign, Congress has so far refrained from deputing any leader to canvass for Shamim Begum, the NC candidate from the seat.
"Within a day or two, senior party leaders will sit together and take a decision in this regard," said Ravinder Sharma, chief spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), while speaking to International Business Times.
"Polling for the Nagrota Assembly seat will be held on November 11. There are still many days left for campaigning, and the party will take a call on joining canvassing for the National Conference candidate in this seat," he added.
Highly placed sources within the Congress revealed that a majority of party leaders favour maintaining a distance from the campaign and allowing the NC to contest independently.
"The general feeling within the party is that the National Conference should handle the campaign for its candidate on its own, as agreed under the coalition arrangement," said a senior leader.
In the 2024 Assembly elections, Congress candidate Balbir Singh had secured 5,979 votes from Nagrota.
However, Congress high command's recent decision to stay out of the bypoll has sparked unease among local leaders and raised fresh questions about the strength of its alliance with the NC.
The local Congress unit was reportedly prepared to field a candidate with NC's support, but the central leadership intervened, opting to leave both the Nagrota and Budgam Assembly seats to its coalition partner.
As reported earlier, just hours before the deadline for filing nominations, the Congress officially announced its decision.
"The Indian National Congress has decided to leave the Nagrota Assembly seat to its ally, the National Conference, keeping in view the larger interests and the common goal of defeating the BJP," J&K Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said in a statement.
The statement added that the decision followed "detailed deliberations" within the party, noting that in the 2024 Assembly polls—when both parties contested on a friendly basis—the NC had finished second in Nagrota. "In the spirit of coalition cooperation and the broader objective of defeating the BJP, the central leadership decided to leave the seat to its ally," it stated.
Following Congress's withdrawal, the National Conference nominated District Development Council (DDC) member Shamim Begum as its official candidate for the bypoll.
Discontent Among Congress Workers After High Command's Decision
The Congress high command's decision not to contest the Nagrota Assembly by-election has sparked widespread resentment among local leaders and party workers in Jammu, who allege that the move was taken without consultation and has demoralized the rank and file.
According to party insiders, the decision was made unilaterally by the Congress central leadership, bypassing local functionaries. The development has deepened the sense of alienation among the cadre in the Jammu region, who believe the party is "surrendering ground" to its rivals instead of rebuilding its lost base.
"The high command's decision has left workers disheartened. Even if the seat wasn't a sure win, contesting would have given us visibility and momentum ahead of the Assembly polls," said a senior Congress functionary from Jammu, requesting anonymity.
Local leaders argue that Nagrota, though never a traditional Congress bastion, has a sizeable segment of loyal voters who have consistently supported the party over the years. With Congress stepping aside, they fear that this vote bank will now drift towards other contenders—particularly Harsh Dev Singh, a strong local face, or the National Conference (NC), which is contesting the seat as part of the ruling alliance.
Sources within the party revealed that the decision to stay away from the Nagrota contest was taken in New Delhi, with little input from the district-level leadership.
"No consultation took place. Leaders on the ground were not even informed in advance," said another Congress worker from Nagrota. "This is not just about one seat — it's about the message it sends to workers who have kept the party alive in Jammu despite the odds."
The by-election in Nagrota was seen as a potential testing ground for the Congress to reassert itself in the Jammu region, where it has lost considerable political space to the BJP. However, with the Congress opting out, local leaders fear the party will lose further relevance among voters already disenchanted by organizational disarray and delayed decision-making.
NC had offered Nagrota seat to Congress
As reported earlier, the ruling National Conference had offered the Nagrota seat to the Congress as part of their coalition understanding. However, Congress declined to contest the bypoll—reportedly as a mark of protest against not being allotted a "safe seat" during the recent Rajya Sabha elections. The party's central leadership is said to have viewed the bypoll as politically insignificant compared to the perceived "betrayal" during seat-sharing talks for the Upper House.
"The Congress leadership was upset over being sidelined during the Rajya Sabha seat allocation. Not contesting Nagrota is being seen as a symbolic protest against the National Conference's attitude," said a political observer in Jammu. "But this move might backfire — it sends a signal of weakness rather than defiance."
Party cadres fear that this decision will further alienate local workers who were hoping for a revival of political activity after years of stagnation.
"By not fielding a candidate, we are giving our traditional voters no option but to support others," said a block-level Congress worker. "It feels like the party has written off the Jammu region."
