Mon Oct 06 18:59:37 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article based on the provided text, along with a brief summary of the surrounding context:

**Summary of Context:**

The provided text is a news article from *The Hindu*, dated October 7, 2025, reporting on political developments in Jammu and Kashmir. Other content from *The Hindu* includes world affair news through an Indian lense, cinema reviews, tech stories, science news, data analysis, health articles, and book reviews. The article focuses on the National Conference (NC) party’s response to an outreach from the Congress party regarding seat-sharing for upcoming Rajya Sabha (upper house of Parliament) elections in the region. The article also touches on the political landscape in J&K following the 2024 Assembly elections and the ongoing issue of statehood.

**News Article:**

**Congress Reaches Out to National Conference for Rajya Sabha Seat-Sharing in J&K**

**Srinagar, October 7, 2025:** The political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir is stirring ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, with the ruling National Conference (NC) confirming that the Congress party has initiated discussions regarding a potential seat-sharing arrangement.

“The Congress has reached out to our leadership. There are discussions at that level. We respect the fact that there is an alliance in place,” stated NC leader and MLA Tanvir Sadiq, speaking to *The Hindu* on Monday.

The NC and Congress previously contested the 2024 Assembly elections together. Despite this alliance, Congress opted not to accept any ministerial positions in Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s government, citing the unfulfilled promise of restoring Statehood to J&K.

“The names of the candidates will be announced soon,” Sadiq added, hinting at progress in the ongoing negotiations. He also emphasized the NC’s commitment to fielding candidates from within J&K. “There will be no other candidate from outside,” he affirmed.

With 90 seats in the J&K Assembly, the NC currently holds approximately 50, including independents. The BJP has 28 members and is reportedly confident of securing at least one seat in the Rajya Sabha.

The J&K Reorganisation Act of 2019 limits the Union Territory to nine ministerial portfolios. Currently, three ministerial berths remain vacant within the Abdullah government, which assumed office in October of last year.

Read More