Srinagar: Several Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have urged the party high command to review its alliance with the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, alleging that the coalition has been “imbalanced” and politically damaging for the party in the Union Territory.
The concerns were reportedly raised by all the district presidents of Congress Party from J&K during a 10-day training camp held under the Sangathan Sirjan Abhiyaan in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, which was attended by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders.
“We have submitted in writing that the alliance with NC has not worked in favour of Congress in Jammu and Kashmir. Our leaders and cadre were ignored from time to time, and the arrangement remained one-sided,” news agency KNS quoted some unnamed party leader as saying.
The leader, as per the report, said feedback from the ground suggested that public dissatisfaction with the NC will affect the Congress as well.
“People are unhappy with NC, and we have also suffered the consequences. Continuing in such a coalition will damage Congress further without any fault of ours.”
He leader reportedly added that district presidents from across Jammu and Kashmir had conveyed that the party should reconsider the alliance altogether.
“The coalition lacked balance. Congress did not get its due space politically or organisationally. If this continues, it will weaken the party structure in J&K,” he said.
The leaders further told Rahul Gandhi that the NC Ministers have not treated Congress workers and MLAs as it did before the elections, which they said is hurting the party.
The Congress and NC had contested the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections together, securing a majority in the 90-member House.
The alliance won 48 seats, including 42 by NC and six by Congress, while the BJP secured 29 seats, largely in the Jammu region. NC colluded with Congress to form the government with former party’s vice president Omar Abdullah nominated as Chief Minister.
