NC doubles down after Congress blinks
Srinagar, Oct 13: After the Congress opted out of the Rajya Sabha election race in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference (NC) on Monday announced its spokesperson, Imran Nabi Dar, as its fourth candidate, completing its list of nominees for the four Upper House seats.
With all four NC candidates filing their nomination papers on the last day for submission, the stage is now set for a direct contest between the NC and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
October 13 was the last date for filing nominations, while October 16 has been fixed as the deadline for withdrawal of candidature.
The polling for the four Rajya Sabha seats is scheduled to take place on October 24.
Earlier in the day, senior NC leaders Chowdhary Muhammad Ramzan, Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, and Gurwinder Singh Oberoi (Shammi Oberoi) submitted their nomination papers.
The fourth nomination remained a closely guarded secret until late evening, when the party announced Dar’s name on the microblogging site ‘X’.
Dar will contest the fourth Rajya Sabha seat, the one on which the BJP has fielded its J&K unit president Sat Sharma.
All BJP nominees, including Sharma, filed their nomination papers on Monday, setting the stage for a high-stakes political showdown between the two parties.
The NC’s decision to go solo came a day after the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) made it public that it would not contest any Rajya Sabha seat.
The decision followed days of uncertainty and internal discussions between the two INDIA bloc allies.
The NC had offered Congress the fourth seat, considered the most challenging and numerically “risky,” but eventually decided to stay away from the contest.
According to sources, the bone of contention between the two parties was the fourth seat, while the Congress wanted to contest from a “safe seat” with a clearer numerical advantage.
However, the NC insisted that Congress take the more difficult seat to test its political ground, a disagreement that ultimately led Congress to withdraw from the race.
Confirming the development, NC chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said, “Four candidates have submitted their papers from the NC. It is a pity that Congress did not accept our fourth seat offer. But let’s move forward. Chaudhary Ramzan, Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, Shammi Oberoi, and Imran Nabi Dar will fight for the four seats. We hope to win all four.”
Calling the upcoming elections a crucial test for secular forces in J&K, Sadiq appealed to legislators to close ranks against the BJP.
“This election will be very important, and the fourth seat will be the most crucial. I appeal to all secular parties and MLAs that this is an opportunity to defeat the BJP. The BJP will not win more than 28 votes. Even if someone abstains or votes for the BJP, it only helps them. I appeal to all secular forces to come together and elect our four candidates,” he said.
Addressing reporters after filing his nomination, Imran Nabi Dar, described the polls as a “battle between secular and communal forces.”
He said, “I hope all MLAs, especially those from the NC and the alliance, will support our four candidates. At the same time, I appeal to secular-minded legislators to respond to the communal forces who have created division not only in J&K but across India.”
Calling the election a moral test, Dar said, “This is a fight between right and wrong, not just between political parties. As Omar Sahab said, the BJP doesn’t have the numbers. If they win, it will only be through horse trading. We must stay vigilant. I am confident all four seats will go to NC.”
The Rajya Sabha elections in J&K, the first since J&K’s reorganisation in 2019, are expected to be closely contested.
With 28 BJP MLAs in the 88-member Assembly and 47 legislators aligned with the NC-led alliance, the outcome of the fourth seat will serve as a crucial indicator of political alignments and shifting loyalties in J&K’s restored democratic landscape.
