 Sandeep Bhat
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 7: With the Election Commission of India (ECI) setting the process in motion for four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir, internal lobbying has intensified within the Congress as more than a dozen senior leaders have started staking their claim for the Upper House berth, likely to be vacated by the National Conference (NC) as part of the ruling coalition arrangement.
Even though the NC has not officially announced relinquishing any seat, infighting within the Congress has already begun. Several senior functionaries and former legislators have reportedly conveyed their interest to the party high command.
Meanwhile, a growing number of party workers are demanding that this time the mandate be given to “fresh faces” instead of fielding the same veterans.
“Every election, the same old guards get the opportunity. The leadership should now promote young, energetic, and dynamic leaders who can represent the changing aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir,” said a senior Congress worker from Jammu, echoing a sentiment widely shared among the grassroots cadre.
The Election Commission of India on Monday issued three separate notifications for the elections to fill four Rajya Sabha vacancies from Jammu and Kashmir after a gap of four and a half years. The polls are scheduled to be held on October 24.
Legislative Assembly Secretary Manoj Kumar Pandit, who has been appointed as the Returning Officer, issued two notifications for one seat each and one notification for two seats.
The elections, in which 88 MLAs are eligible to vote, will take place in the Legislative Assembly complex in Srinagar, coinciding with the Assembly session beginning October 23.
Candidates can file their nomination papers till October 13, while scrutiny will be held at 11 AM on October 14 in the office of the Returning Officer. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 16. If required, polling will be held on October 24 from 9 AM to 4 PM, followed by counting at 5 PM.
The ECI has reiterated that all forms and submissions must strictly adhere to the prescribed timelines. Each candidate, even those from recognized national or state parties, must be proposed by at least 10 MLAs and furnish a formal party mandate; failure to do so will result in rejection of the nomination papers, officials said.
Among the parties, only the National Conference (NC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have double-digit representation in the newly elected 90-member J&K Legislative Assembly, which currently has 88 voting MLAs due to two vacancies.
The NC-led alliance, comprising the Congress, CPM, and a few Independents, commands the support of over 50 MLAs, ensuring it can comfortably secure three out of the four Rajya Sabha seats. The BJP, with 28 MLAs, is poised to win one seat—most likely under the notification for two vacancies.
The current composition of the House includes 41 MLAs from NC, 28 from BJP, six from Congress, three from PDP, and one each from People’s Conference, CPM, and AAP, besides seven Independents. The AAP MLA from Doda, Mehraj Malik, has been detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA). |
