With just 6 MLAs, Cong leaders find bargaining tough
*Leaving seat or not, NC to keep ally onboard
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 7: With last date for filing of nomination papers just six days away, the National Conference is yet to take call on whether it will leave one seat of Rajya Sabha for its Assembly pre-poll ally-the Congress (I) or not as the party has just six MLAs as against 41 seats of the NC. Further, lone MLA of CPM and five Independent MLAs are also the ally of NC which takes its individual tally to 47, two above the majority mark in the Legislature.
The NC and Congress contested the 2024 Assembly elections in alliance excepting five seats where their candidates were pitted against each other. NC won 42 seats and Congress six. With Chief Minister Omar Abdullah resigning from Budgam to retain Ganderbal seat, the NC tally came down to 41.
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Senior leaders within the two parties confirmed that the Congress has formally staked claim for one Rajya Sabha seat out of three which the National Conference-led alliance is sure to win. The fourth seat is expected to go to the BJP going by strength of the parties in the Assembly.
The NC leaders confirmed that the Congress high command too is interested that one of its leaders should go to the Rajya Sabha from Jammu and Kashmir as the party has no representation in Lok Sabha (from J&K) since 2014 and in Rajya Sabha since 2021.The BJP has won both Lok Sabha seats of Jammu for three consecutive elections of 2014, 2019 and 2024. While PDP and NC dominated Kashmir LS seats. Ghulam Nabi Azad won Rajya Sabha seat for the Congress in 2015 and retired in February 2021. He has since parted ways with the Congress.
“Yes, our J&K leadership as well as the high command has claimed one Rajya Sabha seat from the National Conference leaving two seats for the NC as the Alliance is poised to win three out of four seats,” a senior Congress leader told the Excelsior.
He said finalization of the name is secondary option. First, we should be sure that the NC will leave one seat for us, he added.
The National Conference leadership has not made any formal announcement on whether it will field candidates on two or three seats.
“Many NC leaders are of the view that the Congress with just six MLAs shouldn’t be given any Rajya Sabha seat. Instead, senior NC leaders should be adjusted and sent to the Rajya Sabha to raise issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir,” a senior NC leader said pleading anonymity.
However, he said, the final decision vests with the party high command. He added that party president Dr Farooq Abdullah will definitely speak to the Congress high command and brief them on whatever decision the party takes on Rajya Sabha elections after holding crucial meeting in Srinagar shortly.
They were of the view that with just six MLAs, Congress is even not in a position to field its candidate as filing of nomination papers for Rajya Sabha election requires 10 proposers (MLAs).
However, at the same time, the NC leaders are of the view that the party high command doesn’t want to lose the Congress as an ally as the NC is part of INDIA bloc at the national level saying whatever decision is taken (to leave one Rajya Sabha seat for the Congress or not), the NC will take the Congress high command in New Delhi as well as senior leadership in the UT on board.
The Congress leadership, as per the party leaders, is of the view that sending a Jammu leader to the Rajya Sabha will help the party revive itself in the region which was once its stronghold but it won just one (Rajouri) out of 43 seats in 2024 elections and that too with the support of National Conference.
Sources said the senior Congress leaders met in Srinagar today and another meeting is scheduled for tomorrow. The NC leadership is also expected to meet in next couple of days to take call on contesting Rajya Sabha seats and finalization of the candidates.
There are reports that the NC will give mandate to one of its senior leaders from Jammu while rest of one or two seats will go to the Kashmir Valley.
October 13 is last date for filing nomination papers for Rajya Sabha elections while voting if required will be held on October 24 followed by counting in the evening.
Also, the sources said, the NC and Congress will decide on by-elections to Nagrota and Budgam Assembly seats which are scheduled to be held on November 11.
In 2024 Assembly elections, Budgam seat was contested by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and there was no Congress candidate as per pre-poll alliance between the two parties. However, both NC and Congress candidates were in the fray in Nagrota seat against BJP stalwart Devender Singh Rana. NC candidate Joginder Singh finished second with 17531 votes while Balbir Singh of Congress secured 5904 votes only. Rana polled 47668 votes.
Omar too won Budgam seat with huge margin of over 17,000 votes with the PDP finishing second.
While Budgam is all set to be contested by the NC, it would be seen whether the NC leaves Nagrota seat for Congress or not. However, senior NC leaders from Jammu have already started touring Nagrota seat. Moreover, with NC polling 17531 votes and Congress 5904, it would be a difficult decision for the NC to leave seat for the Congress.
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