J&K Congress Leaders Call For Rethink On Alliance With Omar Abdullah's Party

The ruling alliance in Jammu and Kashmir is under strain, with senior Congress leaders openly accusing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's National Conference of betraying the spirit of the coalition and sidelining its partner after forming the government.

The rift came to light when 19 Congress district presidents, during a recent meeting in Himachal Pradesh, urged the party high command to withdraw support from the NC.

Congress leader Neeraj Kundan alleged that the NC has repeatedly violated alliance commitments. "A coordination committee of alliance partners was promised during and after the Assembly elections. It has still not been constituted. This shows the continued sidelining of Congress leadership in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

Kundan claimed the Congress was assured a "safe Rajya Sabha seat" as part of the political understanding, but the NC later backtracked. "This is a breach of political trust," he said.

He also accused the NC of staying silent on the Congress campaign for the restoration of statehood. "The silence on statehood exposes the lack of seriousness by the National Conference towards safeguarding the constitutional and democratic rights of the people of J&K," Kundan added.

The NC-Congress alliance won a majority in the 2024 Assembly elections, securing 48 of 90 seats. The National Conference won 42 seats while the Congress secured six.

J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hamid Karra, however, played down the discontent. He said no decision has been taken on the alliance's future, even as district presidents raised concerns before Rahul Gandhi during a training programme in April.

"District presidents from J&K conveyed that the support expected from alliance partners was not forthcoming. We will speak to them at our level. If required, the matter will be brought before the executive committee," Karra said.

Hitting back, senior NC leader Bashir Ahmed said the alliance with Congress turned out to be a political setback for his party. He alleged that Congress is unable to handle its internal issues and accused its leaders of indulging in gossip and blame games.

With both sides trading charges, the alliance formed with much fanfare now faces its most serious test. If the alliance collapses, it will be a big setback for the INDIA bloc.