| Ahead of Jantar Mantar protest, Kargil episode widens NC-Congress rift | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 15: A dramatic political development in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, where the National Conference (NC) joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to help its Chairman retain office, is likely to further strain relations between the ruling NC and its coalition partner, the Congress.
The development comes at a time when differences between the two pre-poll allies in Jammu and Kashmir have already been widening since the formation of the Omar Abdullah-led government. The Congress has also remained non-committal over its participation in the National Conference's proposed "Hamari Riyasat, Hamara Haq" protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20, aimed at pressing for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Political observers believe the latest episode in Kargil could further complicate ties between the two constituents of the INDIA bloc, exposing cracks in their alliance despite sharing power in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a significant political twist, the National Conference secured the support of the BJP in the 30-member LAHDC-Kargil to ensure the passage of the council's budget, effectively enabling Chairman-cum-Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon to prove his majority and fend off the Congress's attempt to remove him through a no-confidence motion.
The budget was passed with the support of 20 councillors, including all 12 National Conference members, six BJP councillors (including nominated members), one Congress councillor, and one Independent. The successful passage of the budget effectively demonstrated that Dr Akhoon continued to enjoy the confidence of the House, frustrating the Congress's efforts to unseat him.
The political crisis in the council began in May this year, when the Congress, backed by five dissident National Conference councillors, moved a no-confidence motion against Dr Akhoon.
The resolution, signed by 16 councillors—11 from the Congress and five from the National Conference—was submitted to Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, Rakesh Kumar, seeking action under the provisions of the LAHDC Act.
Following the move, Kargil District Congress Committee president Asgar Ali Karbalai demanded that Dr Akhoon resign immediately and hand over the leadership of the council to the Congress, in accordance with the power-sharing agreement reached between the two parties after the 2023 council elections.
The roots of the present crisis lie in the post-election arrangement worked out after the October 2023 LAHDC-Kargil elections, in which the National Conference emerged as the single largest party with 12 seats, while the Congress won 10 seats in the 26-member elected council. The BJP and Independents secured two seats each. With the addition of four nominated members, the strength of the council increased to 30, with the majority mark standing at 16.
As neither the NC nor the Congress secured a clear majority, the two parties forged a post-poll alliance with a rotational power-sharing formula. Under the agreement, announced by Omar Abdullah—then National Conference vice-president and now Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir—the National Conference would head the council for the first two-and-a-half years, after which the Congress would assume leadership for the remaining tenure.
Accordingly, Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon was elected Chairman-cum-Chief Executive Councillor on October 18, 2023, and was expected to relinquish office after completing his agreed tenure on April 18, 2026.
However, Dr Akhoon refused to step down after the completion of his term, triggering a political confrontation with the Congress, which insisted that the rotational arrangement be honoured and that its nominee be sworn in as the new Chief Executive Councillor.
The latest vote in the council has substantially strengthened Dr Akhoon's position while exposing the Congress's inability to muster the numbers despite initiating the no-confidence motion.
More significantly, the National Conference's decision to rely on BJP support in Kargil is expected to provide fresh ammunition to the Congress, particularly at a time when both parties are attempting to maintain unity in Jammu and Kashmir under the INDIA bloc banner.
The episode also assumes political significance because, while the National Conference and the BJP remain fierce political rivals in Jammu and Kashmir, they found common ground in Kargil to prevent the Congress from taking control of the strategically important autonomous hill council.
With the Congress yet to decide whether it will participate in the National Conference's July 20 statehood protest in New Delhi, the Kargil developments are likely to cast a fresh shadow over the already uneasy relationship between the two alliance partners, raising questions about the future cohesion of the coalition both in Jammu and Kashmir and within the broader INDIA bloc. |
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