Jammu and Kashmir Rajya Sabha elections today as Congress backs National Conference

Srinagar (The Uttam Hindu): All Congress MLAs from Jammu and Kashmir will support the National Conference (NC) candidates in the Rajya Sabha elections. Voting for the four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled for Friday.

The decision was taken after the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) met in Srinagar late Thursday evening. By announcing its decision to support the NC, the Congress has confirmed its political alliance with the party. Senior Congress leader and JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra announced that all six Congress MLAs will vote in favor of the NC candidates.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Karra stressed that defeating the BJP is the Congress-NC alliance's top priority. He said, "Our alliance with the National Conference is strong and principled. Our goal is to ensure that the BJP faces defeat in these elections." The Rajya Sabha elections will test the strength of alliances and could expose any fissures within the parties. Both sides are preparing for the decisive day; all eyes are now on the numbers.

The NC has fielded four candidates: Mohammad Razwan Choudhary, Sajad Kitchloo, Shami Oberoi, and Imran Nabi Dar. The BJP has fielded three candidates for three seats. For the fourth seat, the BJP has fielded its Union Territory unit president, Sat Sharma. The NC has an edge over its rivals in three seats, while the BJP has an edge over the NC alliance in the fourth seat, with 28 votes to the NC's 24. The PDP has announced its support to the National Conference in the third seat.

All elected legislators of the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly are eligible to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections. These elections are being held after nearly 10 years, and were not held after February 2021 due to the absence of a functioning Legislative Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir.