The Congress party has opted out of the Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir after its ally, the National Conference, denied it a safe seat. This decision came on Sunday, October 12, 2025, during a marathon meeting of party leaders in Srinagar. The elections for four vacant seats are set for Thursday, October 24, 2025. The move stems from Congress NC safe seat denial in Jammu Kashmir, highlighting frictions within the coalition. Tariq Hamid Karra, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, announced the unanimous choice. The seats have remained empty since 2021 retirements.
Alliance Dynamics Under Scrutiny
The Congress opts out Rajya Sabha elections J&K decision underscores growing rifts in the National Conference-Congress alliance, formed post the 2024 assembly elections. The National Conference holds 41 seats in the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, bolstered by six independents, associates, and six Congress members. This gives the coalition a clear majority. The Bharatiya Janata Party, with 28 MLAs, forms the main opposition.
The National Conference named three candidates on Monday, October 13, 2025: former ministers Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan and Sajad Kichloo, and Shammi Oberoi, a close aide to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. These nominations target seats one, two, and three, which poll separately and are considered secure due to the party’s assembly strength. The fourth seat, polling under a common notification, requires votes from diverse anti-BJP groups, including three People’s Democratic Party MLAs, one each from the People’s Conference, Awami Ittehad Party, and Aam Aadmi Party.
Congress sought seats one or two for a guaranteed win. Instead, the National Conference offered seat four, which party leaders deemed unsafe. “Keeping this in mind, all the participants were of the opinion that seat four is not safe like seat one or two,” Karra stated in an official media address on Sunday. “It was unanimously decided that we will not put up our candidate for seat number four. We will leave it to our alliance partners to see what they think about that.” This Congress NC safe seat denial Jammu Kashmir has left the fourth seat in limbo, potentially benefiting the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Bharatiya Janata Party fielded three candidates, including Jammu and Kashmir unit president Sat Pal Sharma, eyeing the contested seat. With 28 MLAs, the party needs additional cross-votes to clinch it, but Congress’s absence simplifies its path.
Historical Context of Vacant Seats
The four Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant in February 2021 following the retirement of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Shamsher Singh Manhas, and Nazir Ahmed Laway. Jammu and Kashmir lacked an elected assembly from June 2018 to October 2024 due to the imposition of president’s rule and subsequent delimitation processes. No biennial elections occurred during this period, as per Election Commission of India guidelines, which tie Rajya Sabha polls to legislative strength.
Official data from the Election Commission confirms the biennial elections notification issued on September 24, 2025, for the October 24 polls. Nominations closed on Monday, October 13, 2025, at 3:00 PM, with scrutiny set for Tuesday, October 14, 2025. The assembly’s composition, certified by the lieutenant governor, shows the National Conference-led alliance commanding 53 effective votes for safe seats. For seat four, 47 votes are needed, but fragmentation risks a shortfall without full anti-BJP unity.
Party Reactions and Internal Discussions
During the four-and-a-half-hour Srinagar meeting on Sunday, Congress leaders voiced broader concerns. “Some legislators had grievances with governance and administrative issues,” Karra noted. Discussions covered alliance functioning, developmental lapses, and the absence of a coordination committee. “Today’s meeting was about Rajya Sabha polls,” he clarified, but the session also addressed bypolls for Budgam and Nagrota assembly seats.
The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee formally communicated the decision to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah via letter. “We officially wrote a letter to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah regarding our viewpoint,” Karra confirmed. This step formalises the Congress opts out Rajya Sabha elections J&K stance, avoiding a potential electoral setback.
National Conference leaders have not issued a public response as of Monday, October 13, 2025, at 4:35 PM. Earlier, they indicated seat four was reserved for the ally, per statements reported in official channels. The lack of immediate comment fuels speculation on coalition repairs.
Implications for South Asian Politics
This episode matters beyond Jammu and Kashmir, signalling challenges to opposition unity in India, a key South Asian democracy. The Congress NC safe seat denial Jammu Kashmir exposes vulnerabilities in alliances meant to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party nationally. In a region still navigating post-Article 370 changes, reduced Congress representation in the Rajya Sabha could weaken advocacy for statehood restoration and minority rights. Nationally, it dilutes the opposition’s upper house voice on federalism debates, affecting South Asia’s largest economy’s internal balances. Locally, it tests the government’s delivery on promises like job creation and infrastructure, amid 7.2% unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir per 2024 government data.
The move preserves Congress’s resources for assembly bypolls but risks perceptions of retreat. With the Bharatiya Janata Party poised for one seat, the upper house from Jammu and Kashmir will tilt further towards the ruling dispensation at the centre.
Background: Alliance Formation and Polls
The National Conference-Congress pact emerged after the October 2024 assembly elections, where the alliance secured 48 seats against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s 29. Omar Abdullah assumed chief ministership on October 16, 2024, marking the first elected government since 2018. Congress contributed six seats, mainly from Jammu, bolstering the Kashmir Valley-focused National Conference.
Rajya Sabha polls operate on proportional representation, with MLAs voting secretly. Safe seats require a party’s MLAs to exceed one-third of total votes (30 for separate polls here). The common notification for seat four demands cross-party consensus, a hurdle in polarised Jammu and Kashmir politics.
What’s Next: Polling and Coalition Talks
Scrutiny of nominations occurs on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, with withdrawal deadline on Friday, October 17, 2025. Voting happens on October 24, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with results that evening. Congress’s opt-out leaves room for the National Conference to field a fourth candidate or concede to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Alliance partners may convene soon to address the Congress NC safe seat denial Jammu Kashmir fallout. Bypolls for two seats could test voter sentiments further. As polls approach, the Congress opts out Rajya Sabha elections J&K saga will influence future seat-sharing negotiations.
In conclusion, this development leaves the alliance navigating uncharted waters, with implications for governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, October 13th, 2025
Follow SouthAsianDesk on X, Instagram, and Facebook for insights on business and current affairs from across South Asia.
