Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 5: Encouraged by the overwhelming public response to the restoration of the centuries-old Darbar Move, the National Conference (NC) has shifted its political focus to the Jammu province, aiming to replace a weakened Congress as the principal opposition force in this part of the Union Territory.
The Darbar Move—a biannual practice of shifting the government seat between Jammu and Srinagar—was suspended in 2021 to save around ₹200 crore from the public exchequer. The practice was formally revived on Monday, with government offices shifting to Jammu, marking the restoration of a historic tradition deeply symbolic to both regions of the Union Territory.
Buoyed by the positive sentiment generated by the revival, the ruling NC sees an opportunity to strengthen its political foothold in Jammu’s urban and semi-urban constituencies areas traditionally dominated by the BJP and the Congress.
Party strategists believe the Congress’s continued decline in Jammu offers the NC a chance to fill the political vacuum. While the Congress has failed to win a single Hindu-majority seat in Jammu province since 2009, the NC made notable inroads in the 2024 Assembly elections, securing victories in Nowshera and Ramban constituencies.
Last time it was only in 2009 when two Hindi candidates of Congress namely Madan Lal Sharma and Choudhary Lal Singh had won Lok Sabha elections as party candidates from Jammu-Poonch and Udhampur-Doda seats. After 2009, not a single Congress candidate has won elections fr Buoyed by the positive sentiment generated by the Darbar Move revival, the ruling NC sees an opportunity to strengthen its political foothold in Jammu.
Party believes that the Congress’s continued decline in Jammu offers the NC a chance to fill the political vacuum.
While the Congress has failed to win a single seat in Jammu province since 2009, the NC made notable inroads in the 2024 Assembly electionswinning Nowshera and Ramban constituencies.
With the Congress divided by internal factionalism and struggling to reconnect with voters, the NC is working systematically to emerge as a viable alternative.
With the Congress divided by internal factionalism and struggling to reconnect with voters, the NC is working systematically to emerge as a viable alternative to both the BJP and Congress in the region.
According to party sources, the National Conference leadership—under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah—is actively reaching out to influential rebel candidates from the BJP and Congress who performed well in the recent Assembly elections. These candidates, many of whom ran as Independents, secured significant vote shares and enjoy a strong local base.
“The rebel candidates of BJP and Congress who performed well have a loyal voter base and credibility in their constituencies,” a senior NC leader said. “By bringing them into our fold, we aim to consolidate our position in the Jammu region and effectively counter both the BJP and Congress.”
The strategy appears to be yielding results. All Independent candidates who won from Jammu province have extended support to the Omar Abdullah-led government. Among them, Satish Sharma, an Independent MLA, has been inducted into the Council of Ministers, underscoring the NC’s willingness to accommodate strong regional leaders in its broader expansion plan.
With this calculated outreach and renewed political focus, the National Conference is positioning itself as a resurgent force in Jammu province—one that seeks to bridge the political gap left by a weakened Congress and challenge the BJP’s dominance in its traditional strongholds. | 