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| Cong awaits high command’s nod to join NC in bypolls | | |  Sandeep Bhat
Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 1: In a fresh sign of growing unease within the INDIA bloc in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress high command has so far withheld permission for its state unit to join the National Conference (NC) in the ongoing campaign for the Nagrota and Budgam Assembly by-elections.
According to highly placed sources, the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) is awaiting a clear directive from the central leadership before entering the campaign trail alongside its coalition partner. “So far, no communication has come from Delhi, which effectively means the state unit has been asked to maintain a low profile,” a senior Congress functionary said.
The delay, party insiders said, stems from resentment within the Congress after it was denied a “safe” Rajya Sabha seat in the recently concluded elections. The development has reportedly left several senior leaders in the JKPCC dissatisfied, leading to an undercurrent of discontent in the state unit.
Sources further revealed that the high command’s silence is deliberate, reflecting its cautious approach toward the coalition dynamics in J&K. “By withholding the green signal, the leadership wants to send a subtle message — that the Congress will not play second fiddle in every regional political equation,” said a party insider.
While the ruling National Conference has already launched a full-fledged campaign in both Nagrota (Jammu division) and Budgam (Kashmir division), Congress workers have largely remained off the field, awaiting instructions from the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Political observers view this as a sign of strained coordination within the INDIA bloc partners at the regional level, particularly in the wake of seat-sharing disagreements and mutual mistrust that surfaced during the Rajya Sabha polls.
“The Congress leadership is clearly recalibrating its strategy in Jammu and Kashmir,” said a political analyst. “It wants to assert its political space rather than appear as a junior partner to the NC.”
With polling dates fast approaching, uncertainty looms over whether Congress will eventually join hands with the NC on the ground or restrict its role to symbolic support. The outcome of this internal tug-of-war could determine not only the bypoll results but also the future trajectory of the INDIA bloc in J&K’s electoral politics. |
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