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| Congress yet to decide on Nagrota seat | | High command miffed over Rajya Sabha ‘betrayal’ | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 18: Even as the ruling National Conference (NC) has offered the Nagrota Assembly seat to placate its displeased coalition partner, the Congress high command has yet to take a final call on the matter — a hesitation stemming from the recent controversy over the allocation of a “safe seat” in the Rajya Sabha elections.
Highly placed sources said that the Congress leadership at the national level remains deeply upset over how the Rajya Sabha seat negotiations were handled, with several leaders viewing it as a betrayal by the NC.
“The ball is in the high command’s court. After being let down by the National Conference during the Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress high command is in no hurry to decide whether to contest the Nagrota bypoll with NC’s support,” a senior Congress leader told Early Times, requesting anonymity.
The leader added that while the National Conference remains a natural ally of the Congress due to their shared ideological ground, the events surrounding the Rajya Sabha elections have eroded trust between the two parties.
“During the recent c re committee meeting held in Srinagar, most leaders expressed resentment over the NC’s style of functioning. They complained that despite being part of the coalition, the Congress has been sidelined and ignored in key decisions,” the leader revealed.
As reported earlier, amid growing tension over seat-sharing, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced on Friday that the National Conference will contest the Budgam bypoll, while extending support to a Congress candidate in Nagrota, subject to approval from the Congress high command.
After “ditching” its coalition partner during the Rajya Sabha elections by denying it a safe seat, the NC’s offer to leave Nagrota for the Congress is widely seen as a damage-control measure aimed at preserving the fragile alliance ahead of the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said the rift over the Rajya Sabha seat allocation has already strained relations between the two partners, casting uncertainty over the coalition’s stability. The NC leadership is now working to rebuild confidence and prevent the alliance from unraveling before the crucial bypolls. |
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