Srinagar, Oct 13: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday formally entered the fray for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir by filing nominations for three of the four seats up for grabs.
The move sets the stage for an intense political contest, especially as the BJP attempts to expand its influence in the Upper House from J&K.
The BJP has nominated Sat Sharma, the partyтАЩs Jammu and Kashmir president, along with senior leaders Ali Muhammad Mir and Rakesh Mahajan as its official candidates.
The trio submitted their nomination papers before Manoj Kumar Pandita, Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and the designated Returning Officer for the elections.
The nominations were filed amid considerable fanfare, with a large procession of BJP leaders and supporters accompanying the candidates from the party headquarters in Jawahar Nagar to the Assembly complex.
Union Minister of State in the Prime MinisterтАЩs Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh and current Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Ali Khatana were also present, underlining the importance the party has attached to these polls.
Most BJP MLAs from across J&K turned out in support, showcasing internal party unity and a public display of strength ahead of what could be a closely contested election.
Speaking to the media after the nominations, senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the J&K Assembly, Sunil Sharma, expressed optimism about the partyтАЩs prospects.
тАЬWe have fielded strong candidates for three of the four Rajya Sabha seats and will do whatever it takes to ensure their victory. Our focus is on maximising our presence in the Rajya Sabha,тАЭ Sharma said.
He said that the party was actively engaging with like-minded MLAs and independents to secure additional support where needed.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued three separate notifications for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
Two seats will be contested individually, while elections for the other two are to be held under a combined notification, likely through a single transferable vote (STV) system.
This bifurcated electoral process has further complicated the political strategies of all parties, with each trying to optimise their chances depending on the vote distribution and alliances.
The Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir carry enhanced political significance, given the regionтАЩs altered constitutional status post-August 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated and the state was bifurcated into two Union Territories.
Winning more seats from J&K will give the BJP an opportunity to reinforce its national agenda on Jammu and Kashmir in the Rajya Sabha, where the party often faces stiff resistance on sensitive legislative matters.
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