AAP—snubbed by Congress in Haryana—backs National Conference in J&K
The Aam Aadmi Party has extended support to the incoming National Conference government in Jammu and Kashmir, with its lone MLA, Mehraj Malik from Doda, submitting a letter of backing to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. While gaining an additional seat won't drastically impact Chief Minister-elect Omar Abdullah's position, direct support from four independent MLAs has secured him a majority of 46 in the 90-member House. This backing of the NC, rather than its alliance with Congress, underscores Congress's waning influence.
Congress facing pushback from allies
In the results declared on Tuesday, the NC secured 42 of the 90 Assembly seats in the erstwhile state, but the Congress's poor performance, winning only six seats compared to 12 in the previous election, drew significant attention. This has attracted sharp criticism from allies, particularly in view of the Haryana results. The Shiv Sena (UBT)—a bloc membervcriticized the Congress's central leadership for failing to manage state leader Bhupinder Hooda and not coordinating seat-sharing with allies—the AAP or Samajwadi Party.
Congress's Haryana loss and AAP's subtle jab
The Maharashtra party expressed that the Congress's failure to coordinate seat-sharing may have cost them a Haryana election they were expected to win. This criticism arises as the Maharashtra election approaches, where the Sena (UBT), Congress, and Sharad Pawar's NCP faction are anticipated to contest together later this year. Additionally, the AAP's support for the NC—rather than the INDIA bloc—has been perceived as another indication of dissatisfaction among Congress allies regarding the party's inability to negotiate seat-sharing agreements effectively.
Congress's response to election results and ally criticism
In the wake of the dismal election results and criticism from allies, the Congress has announced a detailed review of both elections. Party leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and other senior leaders met in Delhi on Thursday to discuss a range of issues including infighting in Haryana and allegations against the Election Commission. The party admits changes are necessary ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections.
