Srinagar, Oct 13: Senior Congress leader and AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Monday expressed disappointment over the National Conference’s (NC) decision to finalize its Rajya Sabha candidates without consulting other like-minded parties in Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking to reporters in Anantnag district, Mir said that such important electoral decisions should have been taken collectively to preserve the spirit of political understanding among alliance partners.
Mir stated that the Congress had expected prior consultation before the NC announced its three candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections scheduled on October 24, emphasizing that coordination among secular and democratic forces was vital to prevent the BJP from gaining an upper hand. “The Chief Minister should have taken into confidence all like-minded parties before naming the NC candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls,” Mir said, underscoring that strategic unity was essential at this stage of Jammu and Kashmir’s political recovery.
He added that despite differences over seat-sharing, Congress remains confident that no non-BJP MLA will support the saffron party in the elections. “There are sixty non-BJP MLAs in the eighty-eight-member House, and I am certain that not a single one will vote for the BJP. They are already grappling with internal discord, making it difficult for them to manage their own ranks,” Mir remarked.
Elaborating on the Congress-NC seat-sharing discussions, Mir revealed that the Congress had requested a “safe seat” among the first three Rajya Sabha constituencies but was instead offered the fourth seat, which he described as “unsafe” due to its uncertain numbers. “We had conveyed our desire to contest one of the first three seats, where our victory was feasible. However, the NC offered us the fourth seat, which was not a winnable one. Therefore, after detailed deliberations, the Congress decided not to field a candidate,” he explained.
The Rajya Sabha elections will fill four vacant seats from Jammu and Kashmir, all of which have remained unrepresented since February 2021, following the completion of terms of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Nazir Ahmed Laway, Fayaz Ahmed Mir, and Shamsher Singh Manhas. Alongside these, a separate by-election will be held to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of AAP MP Sanjeev Arora from Punjab.
Mir emphasized that the Congress remains committed to collective decision-making and coordination among opposition parties, particularly in states where the BJP seeks to consolidate power. “The larger objective is to ensure that secular and democratic voices in Jammu and Kashmir are represented strongly at the national level. Political maturity and cooperation must guide our conduct, not unilateral decisions,” he added.
As campaigning for the October 24 Rajya Sabha elections gains momentum, political observers believe the Congress-NC equation will play a crucial role in shaping opposition unity in the Union Territory.