A total of seven candidates are contesting, four from the NC and three from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The NC is expected to win three out of four seats, with the BJP poised to settle on the remaining ones. The four seats have remained vacant since 2021 due to the absence of a legislative assembly.
All the parties issued whips to ensure that the party members vote as per the party’s directives and objectives.
The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing its first Upper House elections since the reorganisation of the erstwhile state of J&K in 2019.
There were reports of rift between the ruling NC and Congress alliance before the polls. However, the Congress announced its backing for the NC.
PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti too announced the support for NC on Thursday, Oct 23.
The Awami Ittehad Party MLA Sheikh Khursheed said that he will vote for NC in the Rajya Sabha polls to keep the BJP out, reported news agency PTI.
Independent Shopian MLA Shabir Ahmad Kullay also said that he will support NC. “Our vote is going with the National Conference… Between Kashmir and the BJP, we chose Kashmir,” he told reporters.
J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra told reporters that the Congress and NC are “sorting out their differences” for a larger cause that is “stopping the BJP and fighting against divisive forces,” as per news agency ANI.
Currently, there are 88 voting members in the J&K legislative assembly, and two vacancies. The NC holds 41 MLAs and Congress has 6, which favours the ruling NC alliance for the win.
The alliance is reported to have support of other smaller parties and Independents, taking the total strength likely to 53, as per News18.
The opposition BJP has 27 MLAs in J&K.
The voting will continue till 4 pm and the counting will begin after that. The results are expected to be announced by the evening.
