Rajya Sabha Riddle: NC solves 3, waits on 4th

Srinagar, Oct 12: A day ahead of filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha polls, the National Conference (NC) on Sunday held a closed-door meeting of its Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Srinagar to finalise strategy and complete formalities for the submission of nominations by its candidates for the upcoming Upper House polls.

The meeting, chaired by NC General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, was attended by senior party leaders, including the three nominated candidates – Sajad Kichloo, Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, and Shammi Oberoi.

Cabinet Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Rana, and Javed Dar, along with Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, were also present.

According to party insiders, the meeting focused on coordination among legislators and ensuring the smooth completion of procedural requirements for the Rajya Sabha nominations.

“As per the rules, each Rajya Sabha candidate must have 10 MLAs as proposers. The forms were filled accordingly, and the voting pattern and strategy were discussed in detail,” a senior NC leader who attended the meeting said.

The NC nominees are expected to submit their nomination papers on Monday, which is the last date for submission of forms.

The NC has already named three of its nominees for the four available Rajya Sabha seats from J&K.

The filing of nominations for these seats will close on October 13, while polling is scheduled for October 24.

Sources said deliberations also touched upon the possibility of contesting the fourth seat in alliance with the Congress, with discussions between the two parties reportedly in the final stages.

“It was also deliberated that if Congress backs out of the understanding, the NC leadership will take a final call on contesting the fourth seat independently,” a source privy to the meeting said.

Party insiders said that even without Congress' support, the NC is comfortably placed to win three seats with the backing of independent legislators.

“The NC’s strength, along with supporting independents, stands at 47, which ensures a smooth victory for all three party nominees,” the source said.

Speaking after the meeting, Minister for Health and Education Sakina Itoo said the discussions revolved around the Rajya Sabha elections and coordination among MLAs.

“The agenda of the meeting was the Rajya Sabha election. The General Secretary has already unveiled the names of the candidates. The fourth nominee was also discussed. Talks are going on with Congress, but they will be better positioned to answer about it. We discussed our overall strategy,” she said.

MLA Zadibal, Tanvir Sadiq, who also attended the meeting, said the session was comprehensive and focused.

“All MLAs participated in the meeting chaired by the General Secretary. All three nominees were present and will submit their nomination papers on Monday,” he said.

Party insiders said the exercise aimed to strengthen internal coordination and ensure readiness ahead of the October 24 polls, which mark a significant milestone in restoring J&K’s representation in the Rajya Sabha after several years.