Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 24: The National Conference (NC) leadership in Jammu province has strongly voiced opposition to any future alliance with the Congress, branding the party a “non-performing liability.”
This sentiment was expressed during a two-day convention of NC block presidents and party secretaries from the region, which concluded on Tuesday in the presence of NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the party’s vice-president.
According to insiders, grassroots leaders offered blunt feedback to the top brass, criticizing the pre-poll alliance with the Congress in the 2024 Assembly elections. Many argued that the NC had squandered a chance to strengthen its position in Jammu by tying up with a partner they described as weak and electorally unviable. Several block presidents insisted the party could have secured more seats had it contested independently, particularly in constituencies where the Congress lacked organizational strength.
The alliance has been fraught with tension since the formation of the government. Congress leaders have repeatedly accused the NC of sidelining them in political and power-sharing matters. In The National Conference leadership in Jammu province has strongly voiced opposition to any future alliance with the Congress.
The grassroots leaders criticized the pre-poll alliance with the Congress in the 2024 Assembly elections.
Many argued that the NC had squandered a chance to strengthen its position in Jammu by tying up with a partner.
Several block presidents insisted the party could have secured more seats had it contested independently.
In the 2024 Assembly elections, the NC and Congress entered into a seat-sharing arrangement under which the NC contested 52 seats and Congress fielded candidates in 32 constituencies. In some areas, “friendly contests” were allowed to accommodate internal dissent and ticket aspirants. The arrangement, however, proved disastrous for the Congress, especially in Jammu. Out of the 29 seats it contested in the region, the party managed to win only Rajouri assembly segment, thanks to infighting within BJP.
The NC, by contrast, emerged as the dominant partner, winning 42 of the 51 seats it contested.
Thirty-five of these victories came from the Kashmir Valley, while seven were secured in Jammu. The Congress managed only six seats across the Union Territory, underscoring its declining influence.
Party insiders note that the Congress’s poor performance in Jammu has deepened resentment within NC ranks. They point to the steady erosion of Congress’s electoral base in the region. | 