Sandeep Bhat
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 12: Signaling visible strain within the ruling coalition, the Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Sunday refused to contest what it termed a “risky” Rajya Sabha seat offered by its alliance partner, the National Conference (NC), under the third notification.
After a marathon meeting lasting over five hours, the Congress officially announced that it would not field a candidate for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat, citing unfavorable numbers and lack of clarity within the coalition over seat allocation.
Interacting with media persons, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President Tariq Hamid Karra said that the party had held “threadbare discussions” on the matter before arriving at a unanimous decision.
“A detailed discussion was held regarding the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The unanimous view among our members was that the central leadership had sought a safer seat—either seat number 1 or 2. However, the National Conference offered us seat number 4, which is comparatively less safe. Given the circumstances, it was unanimously decided that the Congress will not field a candidate for seat number 4 and will leave the decision to our alliance partners,” Karra told reporters.
He added that the party had officially conveyed its position to the NC leadership in writing.
“We sent a letter to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah conveying our stand. He asked us to forward it to Dr. Farooq Abdullah, which we have done. However, we have not received any response so far,” Karra said.
The JKPCC chief revealed that several senior leaders expressed “resentment and unease” over governance issues, slow-paced development works, and the lack of coordination among the alliance partners.
“There is a growing feeling among our members that the coordination mechanism between the coalition partners has not been functioning effectively,” he said, hinting at internal discontent within the Congress rank and file.
Political observers see the Congress’s decision as a setback for the NC-led alliance, which had hoped to project a united front in the biennial Rajya Sabha elections. The refusal also highlights simmering mistrust between the two partners despite their continued participation in the coalition government.
It is pertinent to mention that the National Conference has already announced three candidates—Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo, and Shammi Oberia—for the three comparatively safe Rajya Sabha seats under the first and second notifications. |
