The political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir is buzzing with activity as nine candidates vie for four Rajya Sabha seats. This intense contest features four candidates from the National Conference (NC) and three from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who submitted their nomination papers today before Returning Officer Manoj Pandita, the Secretary of the Assembly.
In the initial notification, candidates competing for the first seat include Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan from NC, Dr. Ali Muhammad Mir representing BJP, and independent candidate Prabhakar Dada. The NC alliance, which holds a majority with 53 MLAs, positions Ramzan for a strong chance of victory, even without support from the Congress. The BJP’s strength in the assembly stands at 28 MLAs.
The second notification sees Sajad Kichloo of the NC and Rakesh Mahajan of the BJP contesting for yet another single seat. Observers believe that Kichloo, given the party support, is likely to win.
The third notification encompasses two seats, with Gurwinder Singh Oberoi (also known as Shammi Oberoi) and Imran Dar from NC, along with BJP’s Sat Pal Sharma and independent candidate Kante Sayanna, all filing their nominations. Political analysts predict that the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes will win this round. Expectedly, NC’s Gurwinder Singh Oberoi is on track to acquire 29 votes, while Imran Dar might secure 24. All 28 BJP votes are expected to rally behind Sat Pal Sharma.
After his nomination, BJP’s Rakesh Mahajan expressed gratitude to the party leadership, exuding optimism about their prospects.
“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,” Mahajan stated.
BJP president Sat Sharma, also a candidate, aimed pointed remarks at the ruling NC while reiterating the party’s commitment.
“We will fight with all our strength and script history. We aim to win more than one seat this time,” Sharma declared.
Dr. Ali Mohammad Mir, another BJP nominee, expressed his gratitude for the endorsement he received.
“Entire Kashmir is happy. I thank the central leadership for considering me competent for this responsibility,” Mir noted.
The NC’s chief spokesperson, Tanvir Sadiq, confirmed the successful completion of the nomination process.
“We are confident of winning all four seats. However, it is unfortunate that Congress did not agree to what was offered. I urge all secular forces to support our candidates,” Sadiq implored.
Senior NC leader Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan also expressed his determination to address pressing issues in Parliament.
“We will come up to people’s expectations. There are numerous developmental and political challenges that require attention, and we will advocate for them,” Ramzan affirmed.
As J&K gears up for elections later this month, the competitive atmosphere intensifies, with parties positioning themselves strategically in a crucial electoral battle.
