The Congress party has been significantly weakened following the recent Jammu and Kashmir elections, relegated from a junior partner to a relative non-entity. This shift occurred when four independent MLAs—Pyare Lal Sharma, Satish Sharma, Choudhary Mohammed Akram, and Dr. Rameshwar Singh—extended their support to the National Conference (NC), now the dominant force in the coalition.

Current Political Landscape

With the backing of these independents, the NC has garnered support from 46 lawmakers, reaching the majority threshold in the 90-member assembly, excluding five additional members to be nominated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Consequently, the NC no longer requires Congress support to govern, adding to the party's ongoing existential crisis, exacerbated by a decade of internal strife and electoral defeats, notably in Haryana.

While the margin is slim—any loss of an MLA could push the NC below the majority—the Congress's six seats are now less critical in the immediate governance discussions. The NC secured 42 seats in the recent election, while the Congress managed only six.

Election Results Overview

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) performed well in the Jammu region, initially winning 29 seats but later rising to 32 after gaining support from three additional independents. The People's Democratic Party (PDP), led by ex-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, suffered a major setback, dropping to just three seats from 28 in 2014.

These results defied exit poll predictions of a hung assembly and brought little comfort to the Congress, which faced backlash from its INDIA bloc allies following its poor performance in Haryana. The Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress, and AAP criticized the Congress for its perceived "arrogance" and inability to capitalize on favorable conditions.

Leadership Changes

In a significant development following the election, Omar Abdullah was unanimously elected as the legislative party leader and is set to become the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. His father, party patriarch Farooq Abdullah, had indicated this outcome prior to the elections, stating that Omar would lead the government.