India, Oct. 13 -- The Congress party has decided to opt out of contesting the October 24 Rajya Sabha elections for four seats in Jammu and Kashmir after its alliance partner, the National Conference, refused to offer it a "safe seat". These four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir have been vacant since 2021 after the retirement of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Shamsher Singh, and Nazir Ahmed Laway.

Addressing the media, Tariq Karra, the president of J&K Congress, said that party leaders had collectively decided that the grand old party would not contest the Rajya Sabha polls.

Karra claimed that the party had requested seat number one or two, which are going to the polls. However, the National Conference offered them seat num...