SRINAGAR: The National Conference (NC) and the Congress have agreed to establish a joint coordination committee—an institutional mechanism aimed at stabilising their coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir and ensuring smoother political engagement between the two parties.
According to sources from both sides, the committee will consist of eight members, four from each party. While the NC has already finalised its nominees, the Congress is expected to announce its members shortly, after which a formal declaration of the committee’s formation will be made.
The committee’s purpose extends far beyond routine political liaison. Senior Congress leaders say it is designed to function as a structured bridge between the two parties, tasked with resolving disputes, harmonising policy positions, and ensuring that governance does not suffer due to internal disagreements. It will also serve as a forum for addressing issues affecting the people—ranging from administrative bottlenecks and development priorities to recruitment concerns and public grievances that require coordinated action. In essence, the committee is meant to prevent friction from escalating into political paralysis, especially at a time when the coalition is navigating sensitive questions of representation, statehood, and power-sharing.
Crucially, the committee will also act as a stabilising platform until the Congress high command decides whether the party should formally join the Omar Abdullah–led government. This decision has been delayed due to a lack of consensus within the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), where a sharp divide has emerged over the question of entering the cabinet. The coordination committee, therefore, becomes a temporary but vital mechanism to maintain cohesion and ensure that governance continues smoothly despite the Congress’s current position outside the cabinet.
The internal rift within the JKPCC has grown increasingly visible. The NC’s renewed offer of one ministerial berth in the upcoming cabinet expansion has split the Congress leadership into two camps. One faction argues that accepting the berth is essential for preserving the party’s political relevance across both regions of the Union Territory. They believe that even symbolic representation in the cabinet would reinforce unity and prevent the Congress from appearing disengaged at a time when the BJP remains a formidable force. These leaders acknowledge the challenge of selecting a minister from the party’s small pool of six MLAs but insist that the alliance’s stability outweighs internal discomfort.
On the other side stands JKPCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra, who has taken a firm and public stand: Congress will not join the government until full statehood is restored to J&K. Speaking to reporters recently, Karra reiterated that statehood has been the party’s unwavering demand since 2019 and that entering the cabinet without achieving this goal would dilute Congress’s credibility. His public articulation of this stance—before the high command could deliberate—unsettled senior leader Ghulam Ahmed Mir, who rushed to New Delhi to argue that rejecting the NC’s offer could weaken the alliance and shrink Congress’s political space.
The AICC leadership has adopted a cautious posture. Syed Naseer Hussain, AICC General Secretary in charge of J&K, recently reaffirmed that the party’s stated position is to wait for statehood before joining the cabinet. Yet he also emphasised that any change in this stance rests solely with the high command, signalling that the matter remains open for reconsideration. This delicate balancing act reflects the competing pressures in New Delhi- maintaining political principle, managing alliances, and addressing organisational vulnerabilities.
The backdrop to this debate is the complex history of the NC–Congress partnership. Formed ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections, the alliance was driven by mutual necessity—NC sought to consolidate its dominance in the Kashmir Valley and expand into Jammu, while Congress needed a strong regional ally to counter the BJP. Their seat-sharing arrangement delivered a comfortable majority, with NC winning 42 seats and Congress 6. Yet Congress declined to join the government when Omar Abdullah took oath, citing the legal cap of nine ministers and reframing its refusal as a principled stand for statehood.
Remaining outside the government also suited Congress’s internal strategy. With limited legislative strength, the party feared being overshadowed and preferred to rebuild its organisation while criticising the government from the outside. Over the past year, Congress has adopted a watchdog role—raising concerns over recruitment delays, administrative centralisation, and steep electricity tariff hikes. These interventions strengthened the argument that joining the government without structural guarantees, such as adequate representation and a formal coordination committee, would be politically risky.
Now, with Omar Abdullah preparing a cabinet reshuffle and the NC renewing its offer, Congress faces a decisive moment. One faction warns that rejecting the berth could weaken the alliance and reduce the party’s influence. The other insists that entering the government without statehood would undermine Congress’s core demand and erode its credibility.
In this fraught environment, the coordination committee becomes more than a procedural body—it is a stabilising instrument designed to manage tensions, facilitate dialogue, and ensure that governance remains unaffected by political disagreements, the sources said, adding that it will help both parties align on legislative priorities, address public issues jointly, and prevent misunderstandings from escalating. For Congress, it offers a structured space to negotiate its concerns while the high command deliberates on joining the government. For the NC, it provides a mechanism to keep the alliance functional and prevent internal disputes from derailing governance.
The coming days will reveal which faction within the JKPCC succeeds in persuading the high command. Local political observers say the decision will shape not only Congress’s role in the Omar Abdullah government but also the future trajectory of the NC–Congress partnership in J&K. As the high command weighs its options, the coordination committee stands ready to steady the coalition—ensuring that political turbulence does not compromise governance or the interests of the people.
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