 Sandeep Bhat
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 5: In a significant political development ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the ruling National Conference (NC) is reportedly ready to offer one of the four Upper House seats to its coalition partner, the Congress, in a move aimed at strengthening the alliance and making the contest against the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) more competitive.
Highly placed sources told The Early Times that the National Conference leadership has conveyed to the Congress that it would field its candidates for three of the four Rajya Sabha seats, including one each for the first and second notifications issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The NC has, however, shown willingness to leave the fourth seat — which falls under the third notification — for the Congress.
“For the third notification, elections will be held for two Rajya Sabha seats. The National Conference will field one candidate and leave the other for the Congress. On that seat, the Congress candidate will face a contest with the BJP nominee,” sources said.
According to sources, the NC is confident of winning three of the four seats, given its current strength in the 88-member Legislative Assembly. “The party has comfortable numbers to secure two seats under the first and second notifications. With 41 MLAs, the NC can also smoothly ensure victory for its candidate on the third seat,” a senior NC leader said.
The ECI has issued three separate notifications for the four Rajya Sabha vacancies from Jammu and Kashmir. Voting for all notifications will involve the same 88 legislators, who will cast their votes three times to elect the four members of the Upper House.
Insiders revealed that for the third notification, where two seats are up for grabs, the NC wil
l have around 11 surplus votes after securing its first preference seat. “The National Conference has suggested that the Congress field its candidate on the fourth seat and reach out to all opposition parties — including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Independents, and the Peoples Conference (PC) — to consolidate votes and prevent the BJP from securing even a single seat,” sources added.
Political observers believe that if the Congress succeeds in pooling opposition votes, the contest for the fourth seat could become extremely tight. “With around 28 MLAs in its favour, the BJP would face a tough challenge on the fourth seat if all non-BJP parties come together, as their combined strength would reach around 30,” said a political analyst.
The final decision on the seat-sharing arrangement is expected after consultations between the top leadership of both the NC and the Congress. Party insiders say the move is part of a broader strategy to present a united front against the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir’s upcoming electoral battles, including the Lok Sabha elections. |
