Have Four National Conference Candidates Submitted Papers for J&K Rajya Sabha Polls?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- National Conference fields four candidates for Rajya Sabha.
- Congress abstains from the elections, citing risks.
- Voting by Legislative Assembly members will decide the outcome.
- Potential shifts in political alliances ahead of voting.
- First elections in over four years for Jammu and Kashmir.
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. Following the Congress's decision to abstain from contesting the fourth seat offered by the NC, the party led by Farooq Abdullah proceeded to nominate its fourth candidate, given that Congress labeled the seat as 'risky'.
According to the vote distribution, the NC-alliance holds only 24 votes for the fourth seat, while the BJP possesses 28 votes. With a decisive advantage for this seat, BJP J&K president Sat Sharma submitted his nomination papers today.
The four NC candidates who filed their nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections include Chowdhary Muhammad Ramzan, Sajad Kichloo, and Shammi Oberoi for three seats, while Imran Nabi Dar completed the list by submitting his papers for the fourth seat.
With the Congress opting out of these elections, four candidates are now officially in the race representing the NC.
As the nomination period concluded on Monday, attention has now shifted towards 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, marking the first elections in over four years, as the region has been without a legislative assembly since February 2021.
The seat-sharing negotiation between the NC and Congress reached a stalemate, leading to the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress committee president Tariq Hameed Karra informing the media that the party opted out of the Rajya Sabha elections.
What remains to be seen is whether the six Congress MLAs will support the NC candidates during voting or abstain as a form of protest against the NC for not providing a 'safe' seat.