Internal Dissension Erupts Over NC-Congress Alliance in Jammu Kashmir

Internal Dissension Erupts Over NC-Congress Alliance in Jammu Kashmir

Ashiq Butt | August 24, 2024 | 08:05 PM IST | Jammu Kashmir, Politics | Follow on Google News

Internal Dissension Erupts Over NC-Congress Alliance in Jammu Kashmir

Internal Dissension Erupts Over NC-Congress Alliance in Jammu Kashmir

Key Highlights:

• Internal dissent surfaces within NC and Congress over the pre-poll alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.
• NC leader Sajjad Shaheen opposes the potential alliance candidate for Banihal seat.
• Congress faces internal challenges over seat-sharing demands from the National Conference.

Two days after the National Conference (NC) and Congress finalized a pre-poll alliance for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, internal dissent has erupted within both parties.

The disagreement has been particularly intense regarding the Banihal seat in the Ramban district, where NC and Congress leaders are at odds over candidate selection.

The joint candidate list has yet to be issued, although three NC candidates have already filed their nominations for the first phase of the elections. In contrast, Congress has not yet fielded any candidates.

The alliance has sparked discontent, especially as the NC has demanded over ten seats in the Jammu division, including key areas like Nagrota, Raipur Domana, Vijaypur, Nowshera, Sunderbani, and parts of the Chenab Valley. This demand has faced resistance from within Congress ranks.

A senior Congress leader expressed concerns that conceding these seats to the NC could undermine the party’s chances, particularly since Congress performed well in the Jammu division in the last Lok Sabha elections. Many long-serving Congress leaders feel sidelined by the alliance.

Meanwhile, NC senior leader Sajjad Shaheen publicly opposed the alliance during a rally in Banihal, where he anticipated receiving the party’s mandate.

However, reports suggest that Congress leader and former JKPCC President Vikar Rasool Wani might be the alliance’s candidate for Banihal, which Shaheen deems unacceptable.

Shaheen criticized Vikar, questioning his ability to garner support, particularly given his recent removal as JKPCC President amid allegations of fund misuse.

Shaheen urged the NC leadership to reconsider the Banihal seat, warning that his two decades of political work could be jeopardized by the alliance.

Ashiq Butt

Ashiq Butt – is VoM News's senior staffer worked since year 2015 and he deals with correspondency and social media handles. Hailing from Doda's Marmat, Ashiq has strong grip over the collection of the data and it's compiling feature.