Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra acknowledged the party’s dismal performance in the Jammu region during the recently concluded assembly elections, calling for serious introspection while also alleging administrative lapses and possible deliberate interference in the electoral process.
Addressing the media, Karra expressed regret but stressed there were external factors at play. “We are very sorry for the outcome, but we will introspect. However, there were other issues too—lapses in the administration or even deliberate attempts. In the last three days, police checkpoints were dismantled, and money and liquor distribution was facilitated,” he stated, hinting at manipulative practices that marred the fairness of the elections.
Karra, along with the Congress’ J&K in-charge Bharat Solanki, met with the Abdullahs at their residence to extend formal congratulations on the National Conference’s (NC) win in the assembly polls. Reflecting on the election results, Karra remarked that the mandate of the people decisively rejected the BJP’s “hate politics and oppressive policies.”
“This is a rejection of their divisive agenda, hate-mongering, and the atrocities they’ve unleashed at constitutional, legal, and socio-cultural levels. The people have voted against all of that,” Karra asserted, adding that the Congress’ battle for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood would now gather new momentum.
When questioned about potential government formation discussions between the Congress and NC, Karra dismissed any such talks at this stage. “We were here purely to congratulate them on behalf of the party. Omar Abdullah has indicated that a legislature party meeting is scheduled, after which they’ll hold discussions with their alliance partner. We will wait for that outcome,” he clarified.
The National Conference-Congress alliance achieved a remarkable victory in Jammu and Kashmir’s first elections post-abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. However, the Congress’ individual performance was disappointing, with only one of its 29 candidates securing a win in the Jammu region. Key Congress leaders, including two working presidents, suffered defeat. In response to the debacle, the Congress has vowed to gather detailed feedback to understand what went wrong. Despite contesting in a pre-poll alliance with NC, the Congress had fielded 32 candidates, predominantly in the Jammu region, while NC contested 51 seats. The CPI(M) and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) were each allocated one seat, with the Congress and NC engaging in ‘friendly contests’ on five constituencies.
