The ruling National Conference (NC) has called an emergency meeting of its top leadership in Srinagar today, with party president Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, his cabinet ministers, and all Kashmir-based MLAs in attendance. The high-stakes huddle comes amid swirling rumours of potential defections from the party’s ranks, heightening tensions in Jammu and Kashmir’s fragile political landscape.
NC vice president and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah swiftly dismissed the speculation, asserting the loyalty of his MLAs. “Our MLAs never support BJP; these rumours are being floated by those whose MLAs voted for BJP during last year’s Rajya Sabha polls,” Abdullah said, taking a pointed dig at rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The reference alludes to the 2025 Rajya Sabha elections, where according to national conference several PDP legislators cross-voted in favour of BJP candidate Sat Sharma, dealing a blow to the earlier established NC-PDP unity.
The meeting, sources say, aims to consolidate the party’s position ahead of potential defection of MLA’s, especially as the NC-led government navigates coalition dynamics post the 2024 assembly polls. With 42 MLAs in the 90-member J&K Legislative Assembly, NC holds a slim majority alongside allies like Congress and independents.
Adding fuel to the fire, BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur declared his party’s ambitions for the region. “After the Bengal win, our next target is Jammu and Kashmir, and soon a mission will be initiated to achieve this target,” Thakur stated, signaling BJP’s aggressive outreach in the Union Territory. The saffron party’s recent electoral gains in West Bengal have emboldened its J&K unit, which currently holds 29 seats and has been alleged of poaching legislators of other party’s including NC.
Political observers note that defections have long plagued J&K politics, with the anti-defection law offering limited deterrence in a hung assembly scenario. As NC circles the wagons, the coming days could test the stability of Omar Abdullah’s government.
