Jammu and Kashmir elections: As the deadline for filing nominations in the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections looms, the Congress party has dispatched senior leaders to Srinagar in a last-ditch effort to resolve seat-sharing differences with its ally, the National Conference (NC). With the first phase of polling set for September 18, time is running out to finalize the coalition’s candidate list.
Senior Congress figures KC Venugopal and Salman Khurshid have been sent to Srinagar to engage in crucial discussions with National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and vice-president Omar Abdullah.
The meetings aim to bridge the remaining gaps in the seat-sharing arrangement that has become a sticking point between the two parties.
The urgency of the situation is underscored by the fact that Tuesday marks the final day for filing nominations for the first phase of the polls. The alliance between Congress and the National Conference, initially brokered through a meeting between Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and the Abdullahs, appeared to be on solid ground.
However, disagreements over seat distribution have stalled progress, leading to the deployment of Venugopal and Khurshid to address the impasse.
ALSO READ: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections announced: Polling dates, counting of votes and all details you need to know
‘Consensus has been reached’
Omar Abdullah recently confirmed that while a broad agreement on seat-sharing has been reached, certain contentious seats remain unresolved.
“Consensus has been reached to a large extent. I can tell you that we have reached a consensus on the maximum seats out of the 90,” the NDTV quoted Abdullah as saying. “On a few seats, we are adamant, and on some others, the local leaders of the Congress are adamant. There will be meetings today as well, and we will try to sort out the rest of the seats so as to announce our candidates.”
According to sources cited by the NDTV, the National Conference has proposed allocating five seats to Congress in the Kashmir Valley and 28-30 seats in the Jammu region. However, the Congress is pushing for a larger share, including some constituencies traditionally dominated by the National Conference.
ALSO READ: 2 soldiers killed in gunbattle with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir
The NC has suggested a “friendly contest” on these contested seats, but local Congress leaders have reportedly resisted this compromise.
The elections are set to take place in three phases, with voting scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1. The results will be declared on October 4. This election marks the first Assembly polls since the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019 and its subsequent bifurcation into two Union Territories.
BJP criticism
The BJP has been quick to criticize the Congress-NC alliance, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah accusing Congress of compromising national unity for political gain. Shah questioned whether the Congress supports the National Conference’s stance on issues like a separate flag for Jammu and Kashmir and the restoration of Article 370 and 35A.
He also raised concerns about potential separatist sympathies within the alliance, particularly in relation to dialogue with Pakistan and the proposed resumption of trade across the Line of Control (LoC).
In response, Omar Abdullah downplayed Shah’s accusations, noting that the Home Minister had selectively highlighted only “one paragraph” of the NC’s election manifesto. “I thank the Union Home Minister for mentioning our election manifesto. He has forced everyone to read it. The sad part is that he focused on only one paragraph,” Abdullah remarked.
As the election draws closer, the focus for the Congress and National Conference will be on resolving their differences swiftly to present a united front against the BJP and other political challengers in this pivotal election.
