The political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir transformed today as nine candidates declared their intent to contest for four Rajya Sabha seats. The nominations come from four candidates of the ruling National Conference (NC) and three candidates representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), submitted to Returning Officer Manoj Pandita at the Assembly.
In the first round of notifications, which involves one seat, Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan from the NC, Dr. Ali Muhammad Mir of the BJP, and independent candidate Prabhakar Dada registered their nominations. The NC-led alliance, holding a strong majority with 53 MLAs, positions Ramzan favorably for this seat, while the BJP, with its coalition of 28 MLAs, anticipates a competitive race.
Following this, the second notification sees NC’s Sajad Kichloo and BJP’s Rakesh Mahajan vying for yet another vacant seat. Given the voting patterns observed, political analysts predict similar success for Kichloo as Ramzan enjoys.
The third notification engages two seats, drawing nominations from NC’s Gurwinder Singh Oberoi (alias Shammi Oberoi) and Imran Dar alongside BJP’s Sat Pal Sharma and independent candidate Kante Sayanna. Observers anticipate that the two candidates amassing the highest votes will clinch these seats. Reports indicate that the NC is likely to secure 29 votes for Oberoi and assign 24 votes to Dar, while Sharma is expected to attract all 28 votes from his party.
After filing his nomination, Rakesh Mahajan of the BJP expressed gratitude towards the party leadership, highlighting his confidence in their success. “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,” he stated.
Further reflecting the party’s determination, BJP president Sat Sharma, also contesting, took a critical stance against the NC. “We will fight with all our strength and script history. We aim to win more than one seat this time,” he affirmed.
Dr. Ali Muhammad Mir, another BJP candidate, conveyed his gratitude for the party’s trust in him. “Entire Kashmir is happy. I thank the central leadership for considering me competent for this responsibility,” he added.
On the opposition front, NC 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 remarked.
Moreover, senior NC leader Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, actively participating in the contest, has asserted he will address developmental and political concerns in Parliament. “We will come up to people’s expectations. There are a number of issues — developmental and political — that must be addressed, and we will talk about them,” he emphasized.
Scheduled for later this month, the elections for these four Rajya Sabha seats stand to be a key moment for Jammu and Kashmir’s political dynamics as both parties gear up for intense campaigning.
