Srinagar, Oct 4, KNT: The Congress party has begun internal deliberations over its strategy for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Jammu and Kashmir, with senior leader Digvijay Singh tasked to initiate discussions with National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah regarding seat-sharing and possible alliance coordination.
Party insiders told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that the Congress high command has constituted a panel to shortlist potential names for the Upper House nomination from Jammu and Kashmir. According to highly placed sources, the names under active consideration include former Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir, party spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, and former minister Raman Bhalla.
Sources further revealed that Raman Bhalla currently enjoys the strongest backing within the party, as the leadership is inclined to nominate a candidate who is not already a sitting legislator. “While Ghulam Ahmad Mir is a respected and experienced leader, he is already a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. The party does not want to risk a re-election for his seat, which could complicate matters at a sensitive political juncture,” a senior source within the JKPCC said.
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The party has decided that final approval for the nomination will come directly from the central leadership after consultations with its alliance partner, the National Conference. Digvijay Singh, who has been appointed as the party’s observer for Jammu and Kashmir, has been specifically directed to hold discussions with Farooq Abdullah to explore the scope for coordination between the two parties in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls.
Singh is expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir shortly to assess local feedback, review political arithmetic, and report his recommendations to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) before the final decision is announced.
Congress insiders say the party aims to project a consensus candidate who can represent both Jammu and Kashmir’s political aspirations and the larger opposition bloc’s unity in Parliament. “The high command wants a candidate who carries both credibility and regional balance, particularly as the party eyes a larger role in the evolving political landscape of J&K,” one functionary said.
The Rajya Sabha elections are seen as a crucial test of coordination between the Congress and the National Conference, who have been allies under the INDIA bloc framework. Both parties are expected to weigh their legislative strengths and regional considerations before agreeing on a common nominee. [KNT]
