Seat-Sharing Deadlock: Can NC and Congress Resolve Their Differences Before the J&K Elections?

||Black and White Digital News||

||Tejveer Singh August 24,2024 ||

Jammu : As the political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir shifts towards the impending Assembly elections, the much-anticipated pre-poll alliance between the National Conference (NC) and Congress faces a critical impasse. Despite former Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah confirming the alliance, both parties remain locked in a bitter stalemate over more than a dozen crucial assembly segments, raising questions about the future of this partnership.

Insiders reveal that both parties have staked their claims on key constituencies where each wields significant influence. However, in Jammu district, the local Congress leadership has dug in its heels, refusing to cede any seats to the National Conference, despite NC’s demand for three crucial segments. The situation is equally tense in the Doda and Kishtwar districts, where Congress has only offered NC one seat, while NC demands three, including the highly contested Doda seat.

The political tug-of-war extends into the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, where Congress seeks a majority of seats but faces fierce resistance from NC, which insists on a fifty-fifty split. The Nowshera assembly segment remains another contentious issue, with Congress vying for the seat and NC unwilling to back down.

Speaking on the ongoing negotiations, NC Vice-President Omar Abdullah acknowledged the ongoing discussions but expressed optimism about a breakthrough. “During our meetings, we have covered all 90 assembly constituencies, and a consensus has been reached on most seats. However, some segments remain unresolved,” he admitted.

Despite these hurdles, Abdullah remains confident that a joint contest is within reach. “We will sit together again and work towards evolving a consensus on the remaining seats. We are hopeful that we will jointly contest the Assembly elections,” he stated.

Behind closed doors, sources suggest that the Congress leadership in Jammu province is unwilling to allocate more than six seats to NC, a figure far short of NC’s demand for over a dozen seats. With discussions ongoing, the political temperature in Jammu and Kashmir continues to rise, and the final seat-sharing arrangement could shape the trajectory of the upcoming elections.