Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 24: The National Conference (NC) clinched three of the four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir’s first Upper House elections since the abrogation of Article 370, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pulled off an unexpected victory for the fourth seat, defying its numerical strength in the Assembly.
In a closely watched contest for the third notification’s two seats, BJP candidate Sat Pal Sharma secured 32 votes,
surpassing the party’s 28-member Assembly strength, indicating cross-voting by four MLAs in his favor. NC’s Shammi Oberoi garnered 31 votes, while its other candidate, Imran Nabi Dar, secured 22. Three votes were declared invalid, adding intrigue to the high-stakes election.
The elections, held earlier today at the Legislative Assembly complex in Srinagar, saw 88 MLAs cast ballots across three polling booths to fill four Rajya Sabha seats. NC candidates Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Sajjad Kichloo, and Gurwinder Singh Oberoi emerged victorious, reinforcing the party’s dominance, bolstered by support from Congress, PDP, CPI(M), and several independents. The BJP, despite its smaller bloc, maintained discipline to secure the fourth seat for Sat Sharma after a tense final round of counting.
Both parties had exuded confidence in their numbers, but the contest for the fourth seat remained uncertain until the end. The outcome reflects NC’s stronghold in the Union Territory’s politics, while the BJP’s surprise win underscores its strategic maneuvering despite limited Assembly strength.
With these results, Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajya Sabha representation is set, marking a historic milestone for the Union Territory in India’s parliamentary framework. |
