SRINAGAR – The Indian National Congress has withdrawn its claim for a Rajya Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir, publicly blaming its ally, the National Conference (NC), for the decision. The move comes ahead of the October 24 elections to fill the four Rajya Sabha seats that have been vacant since February 2021.
Tariq Hamid Karra, the Jammu and Kashmir Congress president, announced the party's decision, stating that Congress would not contest the upcoming elections. Karra expressed disappointment with the National Conference, alleging that they were unwilling to concede even one seat to their coalition partner.
"In J&K govt, we gave up ministerial positions for the larger goal of statehood, but here we are talking about representation in the Upper House of Parliament at a time when our constitutional rights are still not guaranteed," Karra said.
The National Conference, led by Omar Abdullah, has decided to contest all four Rajya Sabha seats. Party spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq stated that the party is confident of winning all the seats comfortably. Sadiq dismissed the BJP's announcement to contest all seats, predicting a defeat for them.
The NC's decision has created a rift within the alliance, threatening its unity. Sources within the Congress party suggest that the NC's unwillingness to share a seat could lead to "sabotage" by some Congress MLAs, who may abstain from voting or even cross-vote in favor of the BJP.
The Congress party has only six MLAs in the 88-member assembly. The NC has 41 seats and enjoys the support of five of seven independents. Congress has six MLAs and CPM has one, giving the NC-Congress alliance the backing of 53 members. This gives the alliance enough strength to comfortably win three Rajya Sabha seats if they remain united.
The BJP has also announced its intention to contest all four seats, further complicating the political landscape. The election to the Rajya Sabha has become a crucial battleground for political influence in the region.
The four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir have been vacant since February 2021, when the terms of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Nazir Ahmed Laway, Fayaz Ahmed Mir, and Shamsheer Singh Manhas ended. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed concern over the delay in filling these vacancies.
The Election Commission of India announced that polling for the four Rajya Sabha seats would take place on October 24. The current strength of the J&K Assembly is 88, with the NC-Congress alliance holding a majority.
