The political dynamics in Jammu and Kashmir intensify as nine candidates, featuring four from the National Conference (NC) and three from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), officially filed their nominations for the four Rajya Sabha seats. This submission occurred today before Returning Officer Manoj Pandita, the Secretary of the Assembly.
In the first notification, candidates Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan of the NC and Dr. Ali Muhammad Mir of the BJP, along with an independent contender Prabhakar Dada, prepared to compete for one of the seats. The NC-led alliance, bolstered by 53 MLAs, positions Ramzan as a frontrunner, likely to win without Congress’s support. Conversely, the BJP enjoys a backing from 28 MLAs.
For the next notification, Sajad Kichloo from the NC and Rakesh Mahajan from the BJP have emerged as contestants for another solitary seat. Given the electoral calculus, Kichloo appears similarly poised for a successful campaign.
The third notification includes candidates for two seats, with NC’s Gurwinder Singh Oberoi (alias Shammi Oberoi) and Imran Dar, along with BJP’s Sat Pal Sharma and independent Kante Sayanna entering the race. Political analysts forecast a competitive environment, where the top two candidates by votes will secure the seats. Predictions suggest that the NC alliance will allocate around 29 votes for Oberoi and 24 votes for Dar, while Sharma can expect full support, receiving all 28 votes from BJP legislators.
Following the filing of nominations, BJP’s Rakesh Mahajan expressed gratitude towards the party leadership and optimism about the electoral results, stating, “I am thankful to the national leadership for this honour. I am sure we will win all three seats. The BJP gives equal opportunity to every worker, and all get their due right.”
BJP president Sat Sharma, also a contestant, expressed fierce determination to surpass previous results, saying, “We will fight with all our strength and script history. We aim to win more than one seat this time.”
Fellow BJP nominee Dr. Ali Muhammad Mir conveyed his appreciation for the trust in him, stating, “Entire Kashmir is happy. I thank the central leadership for considering me competent for this responsibility.”
On the other side, NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq confirmed the successful completion of the nomination process and reiterated confidence in winning all four available seats. He lamented Congress’s unwillingness to support the coalition, urging all secular forces to back NC candidates. Sadiq noted, “We are confident of winning all four seats. However, it is unfortunate that Congress did not agree to what was offered.”
Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, crucial to the NC campaign, promised to raise significant developmental and political issues in Parliament, pledging, “We will come up to people’s expectations. There are a number of issues — developmental and political — that must be addressed, and we will talk about them.”
The elections for the four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir are slated for later this month, marking a significant shift in the region’s political landscape.
