J&K Rajya Sabha Polls: NC Wins Three Of Four Seats, BJP Takes One In First Upper House Election Since Article 370 Abrogration

Jammu and Kashmir held its first Rajya Sabha elections since Article 370 was scrapped in 2019, India Today reported.

The National Conference (NC), led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, won three out of four seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win one seat.

Returning Officer and Assembly Secretary M K Pandita announced that NC’s Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan defeated BJP’s Ali Mohammad Mir for the first seat.

Ramzan received 58 votes out of 87, while Mir got 28. One vote was ruled invalid.

For the second seat, NC candidate Sajad Kichloo beat BJP’s Rakesh Mahajan. Kichloo polled 57 votes, Mahajan polled 29, and two ballots were rejected.

For the third notification, the National Conference fielded G S (Shammi) Oberoi and Imran Nabi Dar, while the BJP nominated its J&K unit chief Sat Sharma.

Pandita said Oberoi received 31 votes, Dar 21, and Sharma 32, while three votes were invalid.

The BJP appeared to benefit from cross-voting, gaining around four extra votes, likely from Independents.

Besides the five Independents who are part of the Farooq Abdullah government, the NC, with 41 legislators, was backed by the Congress (six members), the PDP (three), and the Awami Ittehad Party and the CPI(M) who have one member each.

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