All Eyes on JK Assembly As Polls to Fill 4 Vacant Rajya Sabha Seats Go Underway – Alfaaz – The Words

Srinagar: Voting for the Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir began on Friday morning amid heightened political suspense over the fate of the fourth seat, where the National Conference (NC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are locked in a keen contest.

Legislators started arriving early at the Legislative Assembly complex in Srinagar to cast their votes at three designated polling booths. The polling is being held to fill four seats in the Upper House, with the National Conference poised to comfortably win three, while the outcome of the fourth remains unpredictable.

The NC, buoyed by support from Congress, the PDP, CPI(M), and several independents, claims to have a clear edge. The BJP, however, remains confident of springing a surprise in the final count.

The NC currently enjoys the backing of 57 legislators, comprising 41 from its own party, six from Congress, three from the PDP, one from CPI(M), and six independents. The BJP commands 28 votes. The stance of two MLAs, Mehraj Malik and Sheikh Khursheed, remains unclear. Malik, lodged in Kathua Jail under the Public Safety Act, has already exercised his franchise from custody.

Victory for NC’s senior leaders, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan and Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, on the first two seats is virtually assured, given their comfortable numerical advantage. However, the real battle lies in the combined election for the third and fourth seats, where Shammi Oberoi, Imran Dar (both NC), and Sat Sharma (BJP) are in the fray.

In this round, the two candidates securing the highest votes will win. The NC is expected to distribute its 57 votes between Oberoi and Dar, while all BJP legislators are set to back Sat Sharma. With both camps holding nearly equal strength on paper, any cross-voting could tilt the balance dramatically.