Upset Over Rajya Sabha Seats, J&K Congress Wants To End Alliance

The alliance between the Congress and the National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir is on the rocks following the rift between the two over Rajya Sabha seats. A break in alliance could put the Omar Abdullah government on sticky wicket, though there is no immediate threat to the government. 

The Congress has six MLAs and the National Conference 41.  Currently, the total strength of assembly is 88, making 45 the majority mark. Two seats are vacant. The National Conference has 41 members and enjoys the support of five Independents/associate members and one CPM MLA. So there is no threat to the government even if the Congress pulls out of the alliance.

The trouble between the ruling allies that won the 2024 assembly elections cropped up over the Rajya Sabha seats in the Union Territory. 

The Congress opted out of the Rajya Sabha elections after the National Conference refused to give it a safe seat. Now the Congress leaders in Jammu and Kashmir are considering ending the alliance, J&K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra told NDTV today.  

In an exclusive interview, Karra said, "Farooq Abdullah had promised Sonia Gandhi one safe seat. But the NC backtracked and unilaterally announced their candidates". 

Accusing the National Conference of acting in breach of trust, Karra said, "All the Congress leaders want to pull out of alliance in Jammu and Kashmir... I will be sending the feedback to Congress high command. There is huge pressure to pull out of the alliance," said Karra.

He also said that it is not just the breach of trust over Rajya Sabha seat but also the functioning of government. All the leaders who attended the Congress Core Group meeting in Srinagar have strongly voiced their dismay over the functioning of J&K government and said they want to pull out.

"There is no coordination committee to run this government. All the party leaders want to pull out of this alliance," said Karra. 

Of the four  Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference is expected to get three seats comfortably based on their strength in the House. A stiff contest is expected on one seat with the BJP, though the opposition party is confident of victory.

After the Congress decided to opt out of Rajya Sabha race, the National Conference fielded candidates for all four seats. The nomination papers were filed today. Three candidates of the BJP also filed their nomination papers today. 

The PCC chief said NC patriarch Farooq Abdullah had a 45-minute meeting with Congress's Sonia Gandhi and also spoke to Congress president Malikarjun Kharge about the Rajya Sabha seat sharing.

"Farooq Abdullah had assured both Sonia-ji and Kharge that they are offering one safe seat to the Congress. Here, they offered us the fourth seat. Since our leaders pointed out that seat number 4 is not a safe seat, we have unanimously decided not to field a candidate," Karra said. 

The Congress's refusal is seen largely as a pressure tactic to bring the regional big brother in line. 

Though the party's performance in the 2024 assembly elections -- held after six years of President's Rule -- was below par, its six seats have been crucial for the stability of the National Conference government, trumping the BJP, which had won 29 seats. 

The National Conference says the Congress had a better chance to win the fourth seat but they chose not to fight. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Rajya Sabha election is a test for all parties and MLAs to know who stands where. 

"We gave one seat to the Congress, believing they had a better chance of winning, but the Congress thought otherwise. So, we have decided to field our own candidate there as well. This will be a true test of who stands with the BJP and who does not," said Abdullah. 

The Chief Minister said the BJP cannot win even a single seat without horse-trading. 

"You need 40 votes to win. BJP has  28 MLAs, and no one outside their party supports them. They can only win through money and muscle power" said Abdullah.