‘Fixed match’ between NC & BJP, claims Lone

As results for the four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir were declared on Friday evening, People’s Conference chief and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone accused the National Conference (NC) of having a “fixed match” with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the BJP secured four extra votes to win one of the seats.

“So the BJP wins the fourth seat. As predicted — a fixed match; Axis of the evil — NC and BJP,” Lone wrote on X, shortly after the results were announced.

Lone, who had abstained from voting, said the outcome vindicated his decision. “Thank God I abstained. Imagine what my plight would have been. Now it’s mathematically proven that it was a fixed match,” he said.

Questioning the NC’s voting pattern, Lone alleged that the party had deliberately polled excess votes for its third candidate. “Why did the NC poll extra votes for candidate three? They didn’t need to. They polled 31 votes, when only 28 or 29 would have sufficed, since the BJP was fighting for the fourth seat. Who cross-voted? Whose votes were rejected? Who was hand in glove?” he asked.

Before the polls, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Congress, and several independents had announced support for NC candidates.

The NC, however, dismissed Lone’s allegations, accusing the BJP of “horse trading.” “They (BJP) had only 28 votes but got 32. They won one seat because they were involved in horse trading,” NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, who lost to Sharma, told reporters outside the Assembly.

Former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu also reacted to the results, posting on X:

“So BJP gets 32 votes in Rajya Sabha polls with four ‘non-BJP’ cross votes from the NC-PDP-Congress-Independents alliance. So who sold out? Lot of abuse coming PDP’s way very soon — sooner than later NC will blame PDP of cross-voting. Sajad Lone’s decision stands vindicated.”

Meanwhile, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti congratulated the NC candidates, expressing hope that they would “strongly represent the people of Jammu and Kashmir in Parliament.”

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also extended his congratulations, saying, “I wish them well as they begin a new innings representing the people of J&K in Parliament.”