India, Oct. 13 -- As expected, the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, Tariq Hamid Karra, on Sunday said his party will not contest the October 24 Rajya Sabha elections to four seats in the Union territory in view of alliance partner National Conference refusing it a 'safe seat'.

With this development, the Cong-NC coalition seems to be collapsing as NC has the requisite numbers to head the government in J&K. But the very fact seems to be distancing NC from the broader secular coalition.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Kashmir Images....