Denied ‘safe seat’ by NC, Cong not to contest RS polls in J&K
Srinagar, Oct 12: Top leaders from the Congress and National Conference, including Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Syed Nasir Hussain, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, were involved in high-level discussions over seat-sharing for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, multiple sources and several leaders claimed.
However, the talks ended in a deadlock, with the Congress party refusing to contest the ‘risky’ seat offered by the National Conference.
The news agency has learnt that senior leadership from both parties were engaged in behind-the-scenes negotiations regarding the seat-sharing arrangement. Congress had requested a safe seat, but the National Conference declined, offering a “risky” seat where the BJP holds an advantageous position.
According to sources privy to the negotiations, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge personally initiated communication with the National Conference leadership. “He spoke to Dr. Farooq Abdullah over the phone and expressed the desire that a safe seat be allocated to the Congress,” sources said, adding that Dr. Farooq Abdullah subsequently met Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.
During the talks, Congress leaders claimed that Farooq Abdullah had offered a safe seat to the party, though there was no independent confirmation of this.
In a handout issued to media this evening, the Congress leadership repeated the claim of being offered the safe seat. “The meeting expressed dismay over the unilateral announcement of senior coalition partner- National Conference of party’s three candidates and offering a fourth seat to the Congress party, despite an assurance to the top leadership of Congress of leaving a secure seat to our party,” reads a handout issued by the party’s J&K unit this evening.
Speaking to reporters, Pradesh Congress Committee President Tariq Hamid Karra said the party will not contest the fourth seat. “There was a marathon discussion on the Rajya Sabha elections. The unanimous view among members was that our central leadership had sought a safer seat-either seat number 1 or 2. However, the National Conference offered us seat number 4, which is comparatively less safe. Given these circumstances, it was unanimously decided that we will not field a candidate for seat number 4 and will leave the decision to our alliance partners,” Karra said.
He added that the party has conveyed its position to the National Conference leadership. “We officially wrote a letter to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah regarding our viewpoint. He asked us to forward the letter to Farooq Abdullah, which we have done. We have not received any response yet,” he said.
Karra further said that Congress members expressed resentment and unhappiness over governance, public issues, developmental challenges, and administrative shortcomings, as well as the absence of a coordination committee among alliance partners. “There was an open discussion on these matters. We will convey our inputs and opinions to the central leadership and seek their guidance on the future course of action,” he said.
According to sources, Congress MP and general secretary in-charge of J&K, Syed Nasir Hussain, intended to travel to Srinagar to discuss the seat-sharing arrangement. “He was advised to meet Omar Abdullah in Delhi, who was scheduled to arrive there the following day,” sources said.
They added that the meeting between Omar Abdullah and Nasir Hussain took place on October 9 in New Delhi.
During the meeting, Omar Abdullah reportedly told Nasir Hussain that the National Conference had not offered a safe seat to the Congress. “The NC leadership has not reverted to us since then,” the Congress leaders claimed.
Repeated attempts to contact Dr. Farooq Abdullah have so far been unsuccessful. The news agency will publish the National Conference’s version on these claims as and when the party leadership is ready to offer their comments.
