The National Conference (NC) won three Rajya Sabha seats, while the BJP managed to secure one seat in a high-stakes political battle in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.
The high-stakes political battle witnessed hectic backchannel negotiations and alliance manoeuvring by the NC, which managed to win the first three seats with the backing of its ally Congress and support from the rival People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The BJP managed to clinch the fourth seat, ensuring that the ruling party did not make a clean sweep. The four Rajya Sabha seats had fallen vacant in February 2021, but elections were delayed due to the absence of an elected assembly after the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into a Union territory.
With the restoration of the assembly after last year’s polls, the Rajya Sabha elections were seen as a major test of strength for the newly elected government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The NC candidates declared winners included Choudhary Ramzan, a senior leader and five-time MLA from North Kashmir; Sajad Kichloo, a former minister and key NC leader from Kishtwar; and Gurvinder Singh Oberoi, a long-time party loyalist. The fourth NC candidate, Imran Dar, lost to BJP’s state president Sat Sharma, whose victory was seen as a morale booster for the saffron party in the Union territory.
In the 88-member house, 87 MLAs participated in the voting, including jailed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Mehraj Malik, who cast his vote through postal ballot from Kathua district jail under judicial supervision. One MLA, Sajad Lone of the People’s Conference (PC), abstained from voting.
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The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has a total strength of 90 MLAs. But two seats are currently vacant—one due to the death of BJP MLA Devender Rana, who represented Nagrota in Jammu, and the other after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated the Budgam seat, having also won from Ganderbal in last year’s elections.
By-elections for the two vacant seats have been announced, and political parties are gearing up for the fight. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had issued two separate notifications for the polls—one for a single seat and another for two seats—while the fourth seat was contested separately.
Friday’s outcome is expected to reshape the political balance in Jammu and Kashmir’s representation in Parliament, with the NC strengthening its influence in the upper house, and the BJP holding on to a symbolic yet significant victory that it hopes to build upon in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
