Cong refuses NC offer to field its candidate for Nagrota bypoll

Jammu, Oct 20 (IANS) Hurt by their inability to persuade the National Conference (NC) to concede a ‘safe’ Rajya Sabha seat to it, the Congress has turned down the NC offer to field its candidate against the BJP in the Nagrota bye-election.

Differences between the NC and the Congress grew when the NC nominated its own candidates for the three ‘safe’ Rajya Sabha seats and offered the 4th seat to the Congress to contest.

While the NC has a clear edge over three seats, the BJP has fielded its J&K president, Sat Sharma for the 4th Rajya Sabha seat. The BJP has an edge over the NC alliance with 28 votes against 24 of the alliance on the 4th seat.

After the Congress refused to field its candidate for the 4th seat, the NC has finally fielded its candidates for all the four Rajya Sabha seats.

In the aftermath of this development, the Congress has refused to field its candidate for Nagrota bye-election and asked the NC to field its candidate for this seat as well.

The NC has offered the Nagrota seat to the Congress even as the BJP has fielded, Devyani Rana, daughter of late Devender Singh Rana for Nagrota.

Her father won this seat in the 2024 Assembly elections.

The NC on Sunday announced to field Aga Syed Mehmood, former minister for the Budgam bypoll. The BJP has fielded Aga Syed Mohsin while the PDP is fielding Aga Syed Muntazir for this seat.

The Nagrota Assembly seat fell vacant because of the death of Devender Singh Rana, the sitting MLA, on October 31, 2024.

The Budgam seat fell vacant after NC vice president and present Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah resigned from this seat after winning the 2024 elections both from Budgam and Ganderbal.

Omar chose to represent Ganderbal in the 90-member J&K Legislative Assembly.

Nagrota and Budgam go to vote on November 11.

In the 2024 Assembly polls, the NC won 42, BJP 29, Congress 6, PDP 3, CPI M 1, Aam Aadmi Party 1, Peoples Conference 1, Awami Ittehad Party 1 while 6 independents also won those elections.

The Congress later decided to support the Omar Abdullah headed NC government from outside without joining it.

--IANS

sq/rad