Mubashir Aalam Wani
Srinagar, Oct 14: The Congress party finds itself at a crossroads in Jammu and Kashmir after suffering a major setback in the recently concluded assembly elections. With only 6 seats out of 90 in the state assembly, the party has not only been marginalized but is now grappling with internal dissent and an uncertain future.
The elections, held after a decade, have exposed the weakening grip of the Congress, especially in its former stronghold—Jammu region. While the party traditionally fared well in Jammu and gave tough competition to regional parties in Kashmir, it has now lost ground to both regional rivals and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has steadily deepened its influence in Jammu over the last two decades.
Party insiders said that the dismal electoral outcome has triggered factionalism within the Congress, with leaders from the Jammu division openly expressing frustration.
Many senior leaders blame the alliance with the National Conference (NC) for the party’s poor performance, citing dissatisfaction over ticket distribution and lackluster campaigning. Internal meetings have been held to address these grievances, but the situation remains volatile.
Even before the elections, some Congress leaders had opposed the alliance with NC, fearing it would hurt the party’s prospects. “The ticket allocation process was flawed, and senior leaders were ignored,” sources said. The appointment of multiple acting presidents before the elections further alienated party members, exacerbating the crisis.
Furthermore, Congress leaders have also voiced displeasure over the working style of the party’s in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir, Bharat Singh Solanki. Many claim that Solanki focused predominantly on Kashmir while neglecting Jammu, where Congress had fielded 32 candidates. Out of 43 seats in the Jammu division, the party secured only one seat—Rajouri.
Shockingly, all 21 Hindu candidates fielded by the party in Jammu lost, adding to the sense of disillusionment. Even traditional Congress strongholds like Surankot, Reasi, Banihal, and Inderwal—which the party held in 2014—have now slipped from its grasp. “The party didn’t learn from its defeat in the Lok Sabha elections,” sources said.
On the other hand, Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra has hinted at organisational changes, but the delay in appointing new state committee officials has only deepened the frustration among party workers. With no Legislative Council in place, Congress leaders fear they will have minimal influence in the coalition government led by the National Conference.
Senior Congress leaders in Jammu are demanding greater representation, fearing they will be overshadowed by Kashmir-centric politics. “If the focus remains solely on Kashmir, it will become difficult for the party to recover its position in Jammu,” said a party insider. Leaders are worried that without a proper share in the NC-led government, the morale of workers will continue to fall.
There are also reports that some Congress leaders are contemplating leaving the party to explore political opportunities elsewhere. “The lack of strategy and the inability to retain old seats have made many leaders rethink their future within the Congress,” a source revealed.
The Congress’s decline in Jammu is part of a decade-long trend. The party won 15 seats in the region in 2002, 13 in 2008, and only 5 in 2014. The current election marks a further collapse, with Congress securing just one seat in the region. Insiders attribute this decline to mismanagement, poor ticket distribution, and the absence of a coherent election strategy.
As the Congress struggles to regain its footing in the rapidly changing political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir, its leaders are calling for a recalibration of strategy. However, with factionalism on the rise and the BJP continuing to make inroads in Jammu, the road to recovery appears steep.
