PDP, Congress Extend Support To National Conference Ahead Of J-K Rajya Sabha ElectionsIn a strategic move ahead of tomorrow’s biennial elections for four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti ann | India News

In a strategic move ahead of tomorrow’s biennial elections for four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti announced that her party will back National Conference (NC) candidate Shammi Oberoi as its third-preference vote.

Mufti said, “The PDP will back NC candidate Shammi Oberoi as a third preference to prevent BJP gains. We are giving our three votes to the NC’s third candidate. This is to ensure that if the BJP wins the fourth seat, blame is not placed on us.”

She emphasized that this decision aims to block the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from securing any additional seats in the Upper House, marking the first such polls since the 2019 abrogation of Article 370.

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Meanwhile, setting aside its differences with the National Conference, the Congress high command has decided to back the NC in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. In a statement, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra said that after detailed discussions, the JKPCC has formally announced its support for the NC candidates.

“The upcoming Rajya Sabha elections have posed a new challenge. We sincerely hope that the National Conference keeps its flock together against all temptations and manipulations. In that endeavor, we extend our full support. All our six Congress MLAs will vote for the NC,” the JKPCC statement read.

 

Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Mufti detailed the PDP’s internal deliberations, noting a recent meeting with senior leaders and MLAs to finalize their voting strategy. She said, “We held a meeting yesterday with senior leaders and MLAs to discuss our strategy. As I already said, Farooq Sahab called me and asked for our party’s support. I told him that we need two bills to be passed in the Assembly first.”

She stressed that the Land Rights Bill and the Daily Wager Regularization Bill are crucial to protect residents and workers. “The leases of many hotels in Kashmir are under threat. Hotel owners who have operated for decades are being told their leases will be terminated and auctioned,” she said.

“The main issue after the removal of Article 370 was protecting Jammu and Kashmir’s land, and recent actions undermine that purpose,” she added.

Mehbooba explained, “We have introduced a bill in the Assembly to regularize ownership of houses, shops, and hotels for locals. Poor people with houses and shops should get ownership. Similarly, hotels run for generations should not be taken away from local owners.”

Addressing the Daily Wager Bill, she said, “Workers in various departments, including PHE, R&B, Irrigation, Health, and Education, have been working for 20 to 25 years without proper pay. Their services should be regularized, and our bill will address that.”

When critics labeled the Land Rights Bill as “Land Jihad,” Mufti said that since the NC has a majority in the house, they should prioritize locals over potential outsider acquisitions.

With the NC fielding candidates for all four seats, Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo, Shammi Oberoi, and Imran Nabi Dar, the party is confident of clinching three based on its 41 MLAs in the 90-member house. The BJP, with 28 seats, is eyeing the fourth, while Congress, with six votes, has opted to stay out.

The PDP’s three votes for Oberoi on the third preference could tip the scales, ensuring no blame falls on them if the BJP still prevails on the fourth seat.

Mufti was candid about the alliance’s fragility, criticizing the NC: “NC cannot be trusted, but our goal is bigger. To protect the rights of Jammu and Kashmir, and because the INDIA alliance is fighting a very serious battle today, we have decided to vote for them.”

This echoes Abdullah’s direct appeal, framing the polls as a contest against the BJP. Notably, the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference, led by Sajad Gani Lone, has announced abstention, further tightening the numbers.

Polling for the four Rajya Sabha seats will begin tomorrow at the legislative assembly from 9 am onwards, and by evening, the results will become clearer.

Mufti hinted that if the PDP bills are passed, it could signal a thaw in opposition dynamics, but rejection might deepen rifts within the anti-BJP bloc.


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