The Congress party has opted not to join the new Jammu and Kashmir government, despite having allied with Omar Abdullah’s National Conference (NC) in the recent Assembly elections. According to reports on Wednesday morning, Congress has decided to offer external support to the NC-led government, rejecting an offer of one ministerial berth in the incoming cabinet.
However, shortly after the announcement, Omar Abdullah clarified that discussions between the NC and Congress are still ongoing. “We are still in talks with Congress regarding its role in the new government,” Abdullah told NDTV. The final status of Congress within the government remains to be decided.
Regardless of the outcome of these negotiations, senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, the party president; Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha; and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, General Secretary, are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Additionally, as per reports, Omar Abdullah is likely to be accompanied by eight ministers who will take the oath alongside him at the event.
The ceremony is also expected to attract leaders from other political parties in the INDIA bloc, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and DMK leader MK Stalin. Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, Congress’ allies in the upcoming Maharashtra elections, have also been invited to the event.
Omar Abdullah’s appointment as Chief Minister is historic, as he will be the first elected leader of Jammu and Kashmir in over a decade. His National Conference emerged victorious in the recent Assembly elections, securing 42 of the 90 seats, establishing the NC as the dominant political force in the region. Abdullah’s main goal in his new tenure is the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, which was revoked in 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370.
This victory marks a significant comeback for Omar Abdullah, who had lost a Lok Sabha seat in Baramulla earlier this year. This time, he won both the Budgam and Ganderbal Assembly seats, reinforcing his political stature in the region. The Congress, on the other hand, won only six seats in the Assembly, a notable decline from the 12 seats it had secured in 2014.
The NC’s decisive victory, coupled with the support of four Independent MLAs and one Aam Aadmi Party legislator, paved the way for Abdullah to lead the new government. Despite Congress’ limited electoral performance, its external support will play a crucial role in backing the NC-led administration in Jammu and Kashmir.