9 months of govt formation : Congress-NC Coalition Coordination Committee ‘nowhere in sight’: Karra

Srinagar, Aug 01: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president, Tariq Hameed Karra on Friday claimed that the much-needed Coordination Committee (CC) between the Congress and National Conference (NC) has not existed for the past nine months, hampering effective coalition functioning and joint political action.Speaking exclusively to Rising Kashmir ahead of a planned series of protests and hunger strikes to mark six years since the abrogation of Article 370, Karra revealed that Congress will observe a hunger strike from August 9 to 20, organised in phases and led by senior party leaders across Srinagar and Jammu.“I will lead the hunger strike in Srinagar while Raman Bhalla (Working President) will head it in Jammu,” Karra said. “Thereafter, group-wise protests will be held across the UT.”From August 2, the Congress plans to launch widespread demonstrations across Jammu and Kashmir, culminating in observing August 5 as a “Black Day”, commemorating the 2019 revocation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories—J&K and Ladakh.When asked about the absence of NC representatives during the party’s recent Delhi protest demanding restoration of statehood, the J&K Congress chief said, “Despite several attempts to revive the NC–Congress Coordination Committee since government formation, no headway has been made. There has been no Coordination Committee for the past nine months.”This comes in response to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent remarks suggesting that the NC might have joined the Delhi protest had Congress extended an invitation. Karra retorted that such matters are to be discussed formally. “These issues are supposed to be discussed in the Coordination Committee, which no longer exists. The CC is the appropriate platform to address coalition concerns—this has been the precedent across the country,” he explained.The JKPCC chief also underlined that the coalition includes independent candidates and other allies, making the functioning of the CC all the more crucial. Karra’s remarks have further highlighted the growing disconnect between coalition partners in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the sixth anniversary of Article 370 rollback and the bifurcation of the erstwhile J&K State into two Union Territories—Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.Observers say that Congress’s solo strategy—despite being part of a broader alliance—reflects a widening trust deficit that could pose challenges for any united opposition front in the region.As the Congress presses ahead with its protest calendar, all eyes will be on how the National Conference responds—and whether political coordination can be salvaged in time for the electoral battles ahead.