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| RS elections: Cong makes last-ditch effort to secure safe seat from NC | | |  Atul Sharma
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 11: With just two days left for filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections from Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress is making an eleventh-hour attempt to persuade its coalition partner, the National Conference (NC), to spare a safe seat for the party.
According to highly placed sources within the Congress, the party’s central leadership has now entrusted senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh with the task of initiating direct talks with the NC leadership to strike a deal before the nomination deadline expires.
The move reflects the Congress’s growing concern that it might be left without a strong chance of victory if it settles for the so-called “third nomination,” which is considered a risk seat due to the arithmetic of votes in the Union Territory’s Assembly.
Sources revealed that the decision to bring in Digvijay Singh — a veteran politician known for his close personal rapport with several senior NC leaders, including Dr. Farooq Abdullah — was taken after earlier attempts to finalize a seat-sharing arrangement failed to yield results.
“Initially, the Congress high command had refrained from deputing Digvijay Singh to handle negotiations with the NC because of internal differences and factional pressures within the state unit,” a senior party insider disclosed.
He added that a powerful Congress leader at the national level had objected to involving Singh in the talks, claiming that he himself would manage to convince the National Conference to leave one of the two safe Rajya Sabha seats for the Congress.
“However, after the said leader failed to deliver and could not secure even a single safe seat for the party, the central leadership decided to turn once again to Digvijay Singh, who enjoys long-standing goodwill with the NC’s top brass,” the source explained.
Party insiders admit that the delay in initiating effective negotiations with the National Conference has placed the Congress in a difficult position just days before the nomination process closes.
“Time is running out, and the NC has already finalized its three candidates. The Congress leadership is trying hard to salvage at least one seat through last-minute persuasion,” said a senior Congress functionary.
The move to send Digvijay Singh is seen as part of a broader damage-control exercise by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) after internal rifts within the Jammu and Kashmir unit prevented early coordination with the NC on seat sharing.
Although the Congress and National Conference contested the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections as coalition partners, their relationship has been tested repeatedly during discussions over by-elections and now the Rajya Sabha seats.
Party sources said that the Congress is wary of settling for a symbolic or losing position in the Rajya Sabha elections, especially when the NC appears determined to retain three winnable seats.
“The Congress wants to ensure at least one certain win to keep its political relevance intact in Jammu and Kashmir,” a senior observer remarked.
With the nomination deadline approaching fast, the next 48 hours are expected to be crucial. If Digvijay Singh succeeds in his mission, the Congress may be able to announce a joint candidate with the NC for one of the safe Rajya Sabha seats.
However, if talks fail, the party may have to either contest independently or withdraw from the fray altogether, which could strain the coalition and send mixed signals to the cadre before the upcoming local body polls.
Political analysts believe that the outcome of these behind-the-scenes negotiations will not only determine the Congress’s presence in the Rajya Sabha but may also set the tone for future coalition dynamics between the two parties in Jammu and Kashmir. |
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