SRINAGAR, FEB 13: As the Lok Sabha elections loom just a couple of months away, a cloud of uncertainty hovers over the seat-sharing arrangement within the Opposition INDI Alliance in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The focal point of this uncertainty rests upon the allocation of the three parliamentary seats in the Kashmir Valley, where the National Conference (NC) is adamant about contesting from all of them.
The NC, a key player in the alliance alongside the Congress and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has been vocal in asserting its claim over these seats, currently held by its MPs – Farooq Abdullah, Hasnain Masoodi, and Mohammad Akbar Lone.
In contrast, the NC’s primary rival in Kashmir, the PDP, appears willing to settle for a smaller share of seats.
Since the collapse of its coalition government with the BJP in 2018, the PDP suffered a setback in the 2019 elections, losing all three seats, including its stronghold of South Kashmir’s Anantnag, where PDP president Mehbooba Mufti was defeated by NC’s newcomer, Hasnain Masoodi. Now, the PDP seeks to reclaim Anantnag and has proposed that the NC contest the Srinagar and Baramulla constituencies while leaving Anantnag for their party.
The Congress seems to endorse the PDP’s proposal, particularly since it holds a considerable vote bank in Anantnag. However, the Congress has recently sidelined its prominent leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir, who had previously contested from Anantnag, by appointing him as an All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary for West Bengal and Jharkhand.
Both the PDP and the NC are eager for the Congress to contest the two seats in Jammu. The PDP additionally advocates for the Congress to contest in Ladakh, while the NC has newly expressed interest in Ladakh following its recent triumph in the Kargil Hill Development Council elections.
The internal disagreements within the INDI Alliance regarding seat allocation may lead to intriguing outcomes in the Baramulla constituency. Here, the People’s Conference led by Sajad Gani Lone and Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party is expected to collaborate.
The reorganization of constituencies has further complicated the scenario, with Rajouri and Poonch districts now falling under the Anantnag constituency. This shift has diminished sitting MP Masoodi’s influence in Anantnag, strengthening the PDP’s claim over the seat, especially given their strong presence in the Pulwama region, now part of the Srinagar constituency. As the deadline for finalizing seat allocations approaches, the tug-of-war within the INDI Alliance underscores the intricate political dynamics at play in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the upcoming elections.
