The rift between the National Conference (NC) and Congress over the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections has widened, and the alliance seems to be on the verge of collapse.

The rift happened after the alliance failed to reach a consensus over seat sharing for the elections to the Upper House of Parliament. Jammu and Kashmir will send four MPs to the Rajya Sabha, and the Congress has been offered seat number 4 to contest, which the party said would be 'futile'.

The Congress has six seats in the 88-member Assembly, and it has refused to back the NC's proposal to jointly contest all four Rajya Sabha seats scheduled for election on October 24. The NC, which commands 41 MLAs and the support of five Independents and one CPI(M) legislator, had offered the Congress one seat, the fourth, but the Congre

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