CONGRESS FACES SEAT-SHARING HURDLE IN KASHMIR

NC cites Congress' poor performance and historical maximum of six seats to justify not allocating more seats.

- BADAR BASHIR

The Congress party is engaged in intense negotiations over seat allocation in Kashmir Valley, which has 47 assembly seats. In Jammu, the National Conference (NC) has agreed to a minor role, allowing Congress to contest approximately 30 seats. Jammu, with 43 assembly seats, and Kashmir together comprise a total of 90 seats across the Union Territory.

Sources indicate that Congress has earmarked about a dozen seats in Kashmir, aiming to secure as many as possible to satisfy local leadership. A Congress leader remarked, “If we don’t contest enough seats, many Congress leaders in the valley will become demotivated. To keep the cadre’s ambitions alive, we need at least a dozen seats.”