Polling Begins for Four Vacant J&K Rajya Sabha Seats; NC Gains Crucial Support from Congress and PDP

Srinagar, J&K: Polling for the four vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir commenced on Friday at the J&K Legislative Assembly complex, marking the first such elections since the abrogation of Article 370. MLAs are casting their votes between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., with counting scheduled for 5 p.m.

The seats became vacant in February 2021, following the completion of terms of PDP MPs Mir Mohammad Fayaz and Nazir Ahmed Laway, BJP MP Shamsher Singh, and former Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad.

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Candidates and Alliances

The National Conference (NC) has fielded four candidates: Chowdhary Muhammad Ramzan, Shammi Oberoi, Sajad Kichloo, and Imran Nabi Dar, while the BJP has nominated three candidates for the same seats.

A day before polling, NC secured a significant boost as Congress and the opposition PDP pledged support, strengthening NC’s chances of sweeping all four seats.

J&K Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra said,

“Despite grievances over NC’s treatment of Congress, we will support the NC in the larger national interest of countering the BJP. All six Congress MLAs have been directed to vote for NC.”

This comes after Congress expressed disappointment over being denied a “safe” Rajya Sabha seat and opting not to contest the polls or the Nagrota Assembly bypoll.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also extended her party’s support to NC, emphasizing the goal of keeping BJP and communal forces at bay. The PDP’s three MLAs will vote for the third NC candidate, Shammi Oberoi, while abstaining from the fourth seat, with arrangements in place to support NC’s bid through strategic vote transfers.

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Seat-by-Seat Contest

• Seat 1: NC’s Chowdhary Ramzan vs BJP’s Ali Mohammed Mir

• Seat 2: NC’s Sajad Kichloo vs BJP’s Rakesh Mahajan

• Seats 3 & 4: NC’s Shammi Oberoi and Imran Nabi Dar vs BJP’s Sat Sharma

With the Assembly strength at 88, the NC has 41 members and backing from seven independents and six Congress MLAs, giving it an effective strength of 54. The BJP has 28 MLAs, PDP three, and the remaining seats are held by AAP, AIP, and PC. AAP MLA Mehraj Malik will cast his vote via postal ballot from jail under the PSA.

Given these numbers, NC is expected to secure three seats, while the fourth seat could see a tight contest. People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone has announced abstention, and the AIP has not disclosed its position. Any cross-voting or abstentions could tilt the fourth seat in BJP’s favour, with a tie resolved by a draw of lots.