A new political movement has begun in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir after the Assembly elections. The impact of this initiative is now being echoed in other parts of the country sooner than later.
In the Assembly elections in 2024 in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir, there was an alliance between the Congress Party and the local party, the National Conference. As per the seat adjustment, the Congress Party contested 38 seats and won only 6 seats, while the National Conference contested 56 seats and won 42 seats on its own. The third party in the alliance was the CPM, which contested only one seat and won the seat.
The National Conference was just four seats short of getting a clear majority in the 90-member Assembly in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir. Many allegations were levelled against the Congress Party during the elections, and even after that, the Congress Party did not contest strongly on its share of seats. The Congress Party even fielded candidates for seven seats against its ally, the National Conference, and others.
The National Conference and its leaders, Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah, did not give any respect to the Congress Party during the formation of the government and even formed the government without the Congress Party. Now, the attitude of the National Conference and Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is getting harsher towards the Congress party. Some old memories of the Lok Sabha elections are also behind Omar Abdullah’s tough attitude. In the Lok Sabha elections, under the INDI Alliance, there was an agreement between the Congress party and the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti’s party, the PDP, in Jammu Kashmir. The Congress party fielded its candidates in two seats of the Jammu region. However, in all three seats of the Kashmir valley, there was a friendly fight between the National Conference and the PDP. It is surprising that the Congress party remained silent on this friendly fight and did not take any steps to make a reconciliation between the NC and the PDP. The dissatisfaction of Omar Abdullah and the National Conference towards the Congress party had started from then itself.
Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has even given stern advice to the Congress party while attacking it strongly on the usage of EVMs in voting. Omar Abdullah raised the issue of the Congress party’s good performance in the Lok Sabha elections with the help of EVMs; even the Congress party celebrated its victory and good performance in the LS election in 2024. Omar Abdullah has now strongly objected to the Congress party pointing fingers at EVMs for its poor performance in the Assembly elections and by-elections. Omar Abdullah has tried to send a strong message to the Congress party on the pretext of the EVMs. This message of Omar Abdullah is now guiding the allies of other INDI Alliance parties. On the issue of the EVMs, other allies of the I.N.D.I Alliance are also seen distancing themselves from the Congress party. On the issue of the EVMs, the Congress party is not getting full support from any party but the Samajwadi Party.
This can also be called an open rebellion of Omar Abdullah against the Congress party, which is silently supported by many parties, even within the INDI Alliance and those parties which are not part of NDA. Among those who are silently but strongly supporting Omar Abdullah are RJD supremo Lalu Yadav, AITC supremo Mamta Banerjee and many others. The Samajwadi Party also does not seem to agree with the Congress party on any issue except the EVMs.
A new alliance seems to be emerging in the politics of Jammu and Kashmir. After Omar Abdullah’s tough stand, there is speculation that there can be a political agreement between the BJP and the National Conference. Earlier, Omar Abdullah also held the post of Union Minister of State for External Affairs in the Vajpayee government at the Centre. When Vajpayee’s first government fell in 1999 by a single vote, then Baramulla MP of the National Conference, Saifuddin Soz, had voted against the Vajpayee government contrary to the party line of the National Conference. At that time, the National Conference had three MPs. This means that the old relationship between the National Conference and the BJP seems to be on the path of revival.
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