Congress-NC Rift Deepens: Jammu Kashmir Unit Sends ‘Scathing’ Report to High Command

SRINAGAR: The uneasy alliance between the Congress and the National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir appears to be heading for deeper trouble, with the Jammu and Kashmir Congress unit submitting a ‘scathing’ report to the party high command, accusing the NC of breaching coalition understanding and sidelining its partners.

Sources said that the report, sent to the All India Congress Committee (AICC), details grievances over what party leaders have described as the NC’s “reneging” on its “commitment” to offer the Congress a “safe seat” in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The report also alleges repeated violations of coalition principles and deliberate exclusion of Congress MLAs from key decision-making processes.

“The high command has been informed that the J&K Congress leadership is deeply anguished over the backtracking by the NC on its commitment made to senior leader Sonia Gandhi regarding the Rajya Sabha polls,” a senior source said, adding that the local leadership is under “mounting pressure” to consider withdrawing from the coalition government.

The report is said to document a pattern of NC’s alleged unilateralism, including its refusal to establish a coordination committee for smoother governance. It also notes growing resentment within the Congress ranks over the “dismissive” attitude of NC leadership toward their inputs in both policy and administration.

According to sources, the J&K unit has also submitted its feedback on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and the party’s strategy for bye-elections in Budgam and Nagrota constituencies. “The high command will take a final call on both matters — the voting strategy for RS polls and the future of the alliance in Jammu and Kashmir,” they said.

Tensions between the alliance partners reportedly came to a head after the NC refused to cede a “safe” Rajya Sabha seat to the Congress, prompting the latter to decline contesting a “riskier” one. Congress leaders allege that NC president Farooq Abdullah had personally assured Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi of the arrangement, but his son Omar Abdullah later denied that any such understanding existed during a meeting with party MP and J&K in-charge Syed Nasir Hussain.

The Congress high command is now expected to review the report before deciding on whether to continue with the coalition or chart an independent course ahead of the polls. (KNO)