The political arena in Jammu and Kashmir is gearing up for a significant showdown as nine candidates have filed nominations for the four Rajya Sabha seats. This development unfolded today before the Returning Officer, Manoj Pandita, the Secretary of the Assembly. Among the contenders are representatives from prominent parties including four candidates from the ruling National Conference (NC) and three from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In the first notification, Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan of the NC and Dr. Ali Muhammad Mir of the BJP, along with independent candidate Prabhakar Dada, filed their papers. Given the NC-led alliance’s strength of 53 MLAs, Ramzan seems likely to secure this seat without needing Congress support, while the BJP commands the support of 28 MLAs.
Under the second notification, Sajad Kichloo of the NC and Rakesh Mahajan of the BJP emerged as candidates for another seat. Following the voting pattern of the first notification, Kichloo also appears to have a favorable chance of victory.
The third notification covers two seats, with NC’s Gurwinder Singh Oberoi—commonly known as Shammi Oberoi—and Imran Dar contesting alongside BJP’s Sat Pal Sharma and independent candidate Kante Sayanna. Political analysts anticipate that the two candidates receiving the most votes will secure these seats. Reports suggest that the NC alliance is likely to secure 29 votes for Gurwinder Singh Oberoi, while political strategists forecast 24 votes for Imran Dar. BJP legislators are expected to unify their 28 votes behind Sat Sharma.
Rakesh Mahajan of the BJP expressed gratitude after filing his nomination, displaying confidence in the party’s 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.
Party president Sat Sharma, who is contesting as well, criticized the NC and underscored the BJP’s resolve to succeed. “We will fight with all our strength and script history. We aim to win more than one seat this time,” Sharma declared.
Another BJP candidate, Dr. Ali Muhammad Mir, reflected on the responsibility of representing the party. “Entire Kashmir is happy. I thank the central leadership for considering me competent for this responsibility,” he expressed.
Meanwhile, NC’s chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq confirmed the completion of the nomination process while asserting confidence in 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.
Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, a senior leader in the NC, pledged to raise the voice of the people on developmental and political issues in Parliament. “We will come up to people’s expectations. There are several critical issues—both developmental and political—that need addressing, and we will advocate for them,” he vowed.
The elections for the four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to occur later this month, setting the stage for an exciting electoral battle that could shape the region’s political landscape.
