SRINAGAR: In a bid to iron out differences in the alliance, the ruling National Conference (NC) is all set to concede the Nagrota Assembly seat in the upcoming J&K bypolls to its ally Congress.
The conciliatory move comes after the NC snubbed the grand old party in the Rajya Sabha polls from Jammu and Kashmir by denying a safe seat.
Sources said the talks are on between NC and Congress at the highest level on the seat sharing on the bypolls to two J&K Assembly seats -- Nagrota (in Jammu) and Budgam (in Kashmir). Congress has been desirous of contesting the Nagrota seat and leaving the Valley seat to NC during the negotiations, they said.
The sources revealed that Congress has been upset and hurt by NC's snub in the Rajya Sabha polls despite making commitments for a safe seat to the party.
Congress wants NC to spare the Nagrota seat for the party, or it would contest from both the bypoll seats.
In the 2024 Assembly polls, BJP’s late Devender Rana had won the Nagrota seat by securing 48,113 votes, while NC’s Joginder Singh was runner-up with 17,641 votes. Balbir Singh of Congress got 5,979 votes.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, also the NC vice president, has confirmed that talks are going on with Congress on the by-elections.
“The NC will contest the Budgam seat, while in Nagrota, we have told the Congress that if it wants to field its own candidate, then NC is ready to support the Congress candidate,” Omar added.
He said Congress has sought a go-ahead from its party high command, and if they get the nod, then the Congress candidate will file the nomination paper for the Nagrota seat, and the NC will openly support the party.
Earlier, he had said that if the Congress had a better candidate for Nagrota constituency, then they (NC) are ready to make a compromise on the seat, adding that they have no reservation about it.
Omar’s statement indicates softening of the party's stand and a possible climb down. Earlier, the NC had been reluctant to leave the seat to Congress as its party candidate was the runner-up from the Nagrota seat in the last Assembly polls.
The move appears to be a conciliatory gesture aimed at repairing the bitterness and strain caused in the alliance by NC’s refusal to offer a safe seat to the grand old party from four vacant Rajya Sabha seats, the polling for which would be held on October 24.
After being offered an unsafe seat by NC, Congress decided against contesting the RS polls.
With the Assembly bypolls slated for November 11, a seat-sharing agreement on Nagrota could prove crucial in restoring trust and coordination between the INDIA bloc allies.
J&K Congress chief Ravindra Sharma welcomed Omar’s statement and said the two parties would reach an understanding on the Nagrota seat, hopefully.
“The talks must be going on at some level. We will be finalising the candidate for the seat,” he said.
After strain in ties, Congress was mulling to contest both bypolls seats if NC did not concede one of the two seats to the party.
The BJP has fielded Devyani Rana, the daughter of the late BJP leader and former MLA from the seat. In the 2024 Assembly elections, the seat witnessed a triangular contest between BJP, the NC, and the Congress.
The stage is likely set for a direct showdown between the two national parties — the BJP and the Congress — in a high-stakes battle.
The nominations for the seat can be filed till October 20. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on October 22, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 24.
The polling for the seat would be held on November 11.
