Who Are the NC's Nominated Candidates for RS and What About the 4th Seat?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- NC nominates three candidates for Rajya Sabha elections.
- Ongoing discussions with Congress for the fourth seat.
- Political implications for Jammu and Kashmir governance.
- Vacancy of Rajya Sabha seats due to legislative assembly absence.
- Upcoming elections set for October 24.
Srinagar, Oct 10 (NationPress) The ruling National Conference (NC) has revealed its nominees for three of the seats in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, while discussions with Congress are currently in progress regarding the selection for the fourth seat.
Senior NC representatives, Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Shammi Oberoi, and Sajad Kichloo, have been officially nominated to participate in the Rajya Sabha elections.
During a press conference, NC General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar announced that the party has confirmed three candidates and is actively negotiating with Congress for the fourth position.
“We have reserved one seat, and discussions with Congress are ongoing,” Sagar stated.
NC officials did not specify if they plan to allocate one of the three secure seats to Congress or provide them a competitive seat where the BJP currently holds an advantage.
While the alliance possesses 24 votes for the fourth seat, the BJP commands 28 votes.
The Rajya Sabha seats in J&K became vacant as elections could not be conducted due to the absence of a legislative assembly after February 2021.
The Election Commission of India announced on September 24 that the elections for the four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir would take place on October 24, marking more than four years since they were vacated.
The four seats in Jammu and Kashmir became vacant in February 2021 after the terms of the then-MPs Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Shamsher Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Nazir Ahmed Laway concluded.
Since Jammu and Kashmir was under President’s Rule at that time and there was no assembly, the elections for these four seats were not held.
The J&K legislative assembly comprises 90 elected members, with the ruling NC holding 42 seats, the BJP 29, Congress 6, PDP 3, CPI(M) 1, Peoples Conference 1, Aam Aadmi Party 1, Awami Ittehad Party 1, and 6 Independents, four of whom later joined the NC.