SRINAGAR: For the first time since the formation of the Omar Abdullah-led government in Jammu and Kashmir last year, the Congress party has pushed its ally, the National Conference (NC), into an uncomfortable political corner.By unilaterally stepping up its campaign for the restoration of statehood, Congress has not only bypassed its long-time partner but also taken the battle to the national stage on its own terms.Congress, which contested the 2024 J&K Assembly elections in alliance with NC and won six seats, has so far refused to join the government, maintaining it would only do so once statehood is restored.Now, the party has intensified its push by organising protests in Srinagar, Jammu, and at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Top Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding that a bill to restore statehood be introduced during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.Congress’s assertive stance appears to have caught the NC off guard. While the NC campaigned on restoring Article 370, the issue was effectively shelved after the party formed the government.
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