Tight Contest for Fourth Rajya Sabha Seat as Voting Underway in J&K Assembly
Srinagar:Voting for the Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir began on Friday morning at the Legislative Assembly complex, with the focus firmly on the fiercely contested fourth seat between the National Conference (NC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Three polling booths were set up inside the Assembly complex, where MLAs began arriving early to cast their votes. While the National Conference is widely expected to secure three of the four Rajya Sabha seats with ease, the race for the fourth seat has turned into a close contest, with both the NC and BJP holding equal numerical strength.
The BJP’s prospects on the fourth seat took a hit after the Congress, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and independent MLA Shabir Kulley declared their support for the National Conference. Based on the present political equations, the NC has the backing of 57 MLAs — including 41 from NC, six from Congress, six independents, three from PDP, and one from CPI(M). The BJP, on the other hand, commands the support of 28 MLAs.
Two MLAs — Mehraj Malik and Sheikh Khursheed — have not publicly disclosed their voting preferences. Malik, who is currently detained under the Public Safety Act, cast his vote earlier this week inside Kathua district jail.
The victories of NC candidates Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan and Sajjad Kichloo on the first two seats are considered certain, with each expected to secure around 57 votes against the BJP’s 28.
However, the real battle lies in the combined election for the third and fourth seats, where three candidates — Gurwinder Singh Oberoi (Independent), Imran Dar (NC), and Sat Sharma (BJP) — are in the fray. In this round, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes will be declared winners.
According to political observers, the ruling alliance is likely to distribute its votes between Oberoi and Imran Dar, while all 28 BJP MLAs are expected to vote for Sat Sharma. The NC is anticipated to allocate 29 votes to Oberoi and 28 to Dar, a move designed to prevent a split that could benefit the BJP.
With both camps evenly matched, even a single instance of cross-voting could prove decisive. All eyes are now on the final tally to see whether the National Conference can sweep all four seats or if the BJP manages to retain one in this tightly fought contest. (KDC)
