BJP names J&K state unit chief, 2 others for RS elections, Congress bows out

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday announced three candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, scheduled for October 24. The list includes Sat Pal Sharma, president of the BJP’s J&K unit, along with Dr Ali Mohammad Mir, the party’s 2024 Assembly candidate from Khan Sahib, and Rakesh Mahajan, vice-president of the party’s UT unit.

The Election Commission had recently issued three notifications to fill four vacant Rajya Sabha seats in the Union Territory, marking the first such elections after a gap of more than four and a half years. Nominations close on October 13, scrutiny will take place on October 14, and the last date for withdrawal is October 16.

Sat Pal Sharma, a former minister, is expected to contest from a ‘safe seat’ where the BJP has numerical dominance in the Assembly. He was appointed UT party chief last year, following the Assembly polls. The National Conference (NC) has already named its three candidates for the elections.

However, in a significant development, the Congress party has decided to stay out of the race. Speaking at a press briefing, J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra said the decision was made after internal consultations. “We had asked the National Conference for a safe seat—either seat number one or two. However, the NC offered us seat number four, which is not considered secure. Therefore, we have decided not to contest,” Karra said.

Given the BJP’s strength of 28 MLAs in the 90-member J&K Assembly, the party is expected to secure at least one seat. The NC and its allies, including independents, have a combined strength of 52, giving them an edge on the remaining seats.

Political observers are also closely watching how the six Congress MLAs will vote, now that the party is not fielding a candidate. The role of smaller parties could also prove crucial. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has three MLAs, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has one MLA, Mehraj Malik, who is currently in jail under the Public Safety Act (PSA). Other players include the People’s Conference with one seat, and independent MLA Khursheed Ahmed Sheikh, the brother of jailed MP and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief Engineer Rashid.

In a parallel development, the National Conference held a key strategy meeting of its legislators on Sunday, chaired by party general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar. The meeting was attended by NC’s nominated Rajya Sabha candidates — Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Sajad Kichloo and Shami Oberoi — as well as Cabinet Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Rana, and Javed Dar. Nasir Aslam Wani, Advisor to the Chief Minister, was also present.

The meeting focused on finalising the party’s approach to the Rajya Sabha elections and discussing coordination with alliance partners.