People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Lone has accused Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of denying the Congress party a Rajya Sabha ticket at the behest of the BJP. The allegation comes ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for later in October 2025.
Lone challenged Abdullah to prove that the decision to block Congress from securing a Rajya Sabha seat was not influenced by the BJP. He labeled the National Conference’s move as a betrayal of the Congress party, which had extended support to the NC in the 2024 elections.
According to Lone, Omar Abdullah has damaged the National Conference’s credibility and severed ties with Congress, despite the latter’s continued backing. He argued that the NC’s actions ultimately serve to benefit the BJP.
Describing Congress as the only party “truly anti-BJP” and capable of playing a critical role in the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Lone declared that he would “never vote for the National Conference, either ideologically or practically.” He also announced that his party, the People’s Conference, would abstain from voting in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
Lone further criticized Abdullah for previously campaigning on an anti-BJP platform, yet now allegedly aligning with BJP interests. He highlighted the contradiction in Abdullah’s past stance, where he claimed that anyone not supporting the NC was effectively supporting the BJP, a position Lone now finds “astonishing.”
This statement marks the latest development in an ongoing political dispute in Jammu and Kashmir. Lone, along with others like Waheed Parra and MLA Langate, has earlier accused the National Conference of colluding with the BJP, describing their political actions as a “fixed match.”
The National Conference is a member of the INDIA bloc, a political alliance that also includes the Congress party. The two parties jointly contested the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. Currently, Congress, with six MLAs, provides external support to the NC-led government. However, tensions have surfaced ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections.
Congress was expecting a secure seat among the four available Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir. Instead, the NC reportedly offered Congress the fourth seat, which is considered less winnable. Viewing the offer as strategically disadvantageous, Congress has declined to contest the seat.
This round of Rajya Sabha polls is significant as it is the first since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and the subsequent reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir. The outcome is being closely monitored, especially as the BJP lacks the numbers to secure a seat without support from other parties.
