Congress drops Rajya Sabha seat claim in J&K, blames ally National Conference

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra connected Sunday said his enactment would not contention the October 24 Rajya Sabha elections to 4 seats successful the Union territory, accusing confederation spouse National Conference (NC) of refusing it a “safe seat”.Addressing reporters aft a enactment gathering here, Karra said it was unanimously agreed that Congress would not contention the Rajya Sabha polls.The Congress cardinal enactment had sought 1 of the 2 Rajya Sabha seats that are going to polls separately but the NC offered the enactment 1 of the 2 seats, which are going to polls nether a communal notification, Karra said.“Keeping this successful mind, each the participants (at the meeting) were of the sentiment that spot 4 is not harmless similar spot 1 oregon two.

It was unanimously decided that we volition not enactment up our campaigner for spot fig four. We volition permission it to our confederation partners to spot what they deliberation astir that," Karra said.NC has already named its 3 candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls.Given the numbers successful the Assembly, each 3 NC candidates look assured of triumph portion the 4th campaigner of the ruling confederation volition request each anti-BJP ballot to win.The 3 MLAs of the PDP, 1 each from People's Conference, Awami Ittehad Party and AAP volition person to ballot for the ruling enactment campaigner to guarantee triumph connected the 4th seat.

Karra said a marathon treatment took spot astir the moving of the alliance, the Rajya Sabha polls and the by-elections to 2 Assembly seats — Budgam and Nagrota. Omar Abdullah vacated Budgam aft retaining Ganderbal, and BJP legislator Davinder Singh Rana, who represented Nagrota, died successful October 2024.The PCC main said the enactment has besides written to the main curate Omar Abdullah explaining the party’s stance connected the RS polls.

“He advised america to guardant the missive to Dr Farooq Abdullah, which we did, but determination has been nary effect truthful far,” Karra said.A elder Congress person said the ruling NC is trying to delight the BJP by ensuring determination is nary Congress campaigner successful the Rajya Sabha polls.However, Nasir Aslam Wani, advisor to the CM, said NC has been successful discussions with Congress for galore days, claiming that the Congress was successful a beardown presumption to spot four. “NC has been warring BJP each along. If the Congress decides not to contest, we volition person to tract our ain 4th campaigner against BJP. It is we who are taking connected the BJP.”All 4 Rajya Sabha seats from J&K person remained vacant since February 2021.The 90-member J&K Assembly presently has 88 sitting members.