Why Did Four National Conference Candidates File Nomination Papers for J&K Rajya Sabha Polls?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Four candidates from NC officially submitted nominations for the Rajya Sabha polls.
- Congress opted out of the elections, citing risks.
- The BJP holds an advantage with a higher vote count.
- The elections are the first in over four years for J&K.
- The outcome could reshape political alliances in the region.
Srinagar, Oct 13 (NationPress) On Monday, four candidates from the regional National Conference (NC) submitted their nomination papers for the four available Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir.
After the Congress declined to contest the fourth Rajya Sabha seat offered by the NC, citing it as ‘risky’, the party led by Farooq Abdullah decided to nominate its fourth candidate.
The vote distribution indicates that the NC-alliance possesses only 24 votes for the fourth seat, while the BJP holds 28 votes. With a significant advantage, BJP J&K president Sat Sharma filed his nomination papers today for this position.
On Monday, the four NC candidates who submitted their nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections were Chowdhary Muhammad Ramzan, Sajad Kichloo, and Shammi Oberoi for the first three seats, while Imran Nabi Dar was the last to file for the fourth seat.
With the Congress opting out of these elections, the race is now officially on for the four NC candidates.
As the nomination filing concluded on Monday, attention has turned to the campaigning and voting process by the Members of the Legislative Assembly, which will ultimately determine the outcome of the Rajya Sabha elections in the Union Territory.
The Election Commission announced elections for four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir on September 24, following a hiatus of over four years, during which the region lacked a legislative assembly since February 2021.
The seat-sharing negotiations between the NC and the Congress reached an impasse, leading Tariq Hameed Karra, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, to inform reporters of the party’s decision to abstain from the Rajya Sabha polls.
It will be crucial to observe whether the six Congress MLAs decide to cast their votes in favor of the NC candidates or refrain from voting altogether to protest against the NC for not providing a ‘safe’ seat.