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| NC announces candidates for 3 seats, likely to leave risky seat for Cong | | Rajya Sabha Elections | | Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 10: All hopes of the Congress to secure a Rajya Sabha seat from Jammu and Kashmir were dashed today after the ruling National Conference (NC) announced its three candidates for the upcoming elections to the four vacant seats of the Upper House of Parliament.
As the ruling coalition is comfortably placed to win three seats, the National Conference declared its nominees for these “safe” constituencies and is likely to leave the remaining “risky” seat for its coalition partner, the Congress.
Although no Congress leader was willing to officially comment on the development, party sources described it as a serious setback, as the Congress had been demanding a safe seat. “We were demanding a safe seat, not the risky one where the BJP is in a position to win,” a senior Congress leader said, on the condition of anonymity. “Leaving a risky seat for us is nothing but an attempt to undermine the importance of the coalition partner,” the leader said.
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Friday officially announced its nominees for three of the four Rajya Sabha seats due for election, while confirming that discussions were still underway regarding the fourth seat.
The elections, scheduled for October 24, will fill four seats from Jammu and Kashmir that have remained vacant since 2021.
NC General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar named the three candidates as Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Shammi Oberoi, and Sajad Kichloo. Speaking at a press conference, Sagar said the party is effectively contesting three seats independently and is confident of success based on the NC-led alliance’s strength in the 90-member Legislative Assembly.
Nasir Aslam Wani, Advisor to the Chief Minister, did not make any specific statement regarding seat-sharing arrangements with the Congress.
The National Confe All hopes of the Congress to secure a Rajya Sabha seat from J&K were dashed today after ruling NC announced its three candidates for safe seats.
The NC is likely to leave the remaining “risky” seat for its coalition partner, the Congress.
Although no Congress leader was willing to officially comment on the development, party sources described it as a serious setback.
A Cong leader opined that leaving a risky seat for them is an attempt to undermine the importance of the coalition partner.
As reported earlier, under 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 is expected to face a contest with the BJP nominee.
The Congress leadership, however, was seeking a winnable seat, not the fourth one where the party is expected to face a tough battle with the BJP.
The National Conference remains confident of winning three of the four seats, given its current strength in the 88-member Legislative Assembly. The party has enough numbers to secure two seats under the first and second notifications, and with 41 MLAs, it can also ensure a comfortable victory for its candidate on the third seat.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued three separate notifications for the four Rajya Sabha vacancies from Jammu and Kashmir. Voting under all three notifications will involve the same 88 legislators, who will cast their votes three times to elect four members of the Upper House.
According to the ECI, the polls will be conducted through three notifications as the vacancies fall under different election cycles. With the support of some Independent legislators, the NC is comfortably positioned to win three of the four seats.
The ECI explained its decision by citing a 1994 Delhi High Court ruling, stating:
“These four vacancies are being filled by holding three separate elections, in accordance with the law on the subject, as each of these vacancies falls under three different cycles”. |
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