Congress Pulls Out of J&K Rajya Sabha Polls as Omar Abdullah Refuses ‘Safe Seat’

In a significant setback for the opposition INDIA bloc in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress party has announced it will not contest the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The decision comes after disagreements with alliance partner National Conference (NC) over seat allocation, with Congress alleging that it was offered an “unsafe seat” instead of a preferred “safe seat.”

Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee President Tariq Hamid Karra confirmed the decision after a marathon meeting of party leaders in Srinagar. Karra stated that the central leadership of Congress had requested either seat number 1 or 2, which were considered safer, but NC, led by Omar Abdullah, proposed seat number 4 under a joint notification.

“Keeping this in mind, all participants at the meeting were of the opinion that seat four is not as safe as seat one or two. It was unanimously decided that we will not put up our candidate for seat number four and will leave it to our alliance partners to decide their next course of action,” Karra said.

The National Conference has already named its three candidates, who are expected to file their nominations by today, the final day for submission. The ruling NC, with the backing of its 41 MLAs, six independents, and six Congress legislators, is poised to claim three Rajya Sabha seats comfortably.

However, the fourth seat remains more competitive. The ruling party would require support from all anti-BJP votes, including three MLAs from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one each from the People’s Conference, Awami Ittehad Party, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with 28 MLAs, is expected to secure one Rajya Sabha seat and has already announced its three candidates for the polls scheduled on October 24, 2025.

This development exposes cracks in the opposition alliance in the union territory, highlighting the challenges of coalition politics and seat-sharing arrangements ahead of crucial elections. Observers note that Congress’s refusal to contest reflects concerns over political strategy and risk assessment, signaling potential tensions within the INDIA bloc in Jammu and Kashmir.