New Delhi: Elections to four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir is being held today. Seven candidates are in the fray including Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad, current Leader of Opposition in the Upper House of Parliament, who faces a tough test.
All political parties-PDP, BJP, NC and Congress, whose seven candidates were in fray for four Rajya Sabha seats, have issued whips to their party MLAs to vote in favour of their candidates.
Both BJP-PDP and National Conference-Congress are fighting the elections under seat sharing arrangements.
The PDP, with 28 seats, is the single-largest party in the state Assembly, which is currently in suspended animation, while the BJP has 25 seats in the 87-member house.
As results of the elections will be declared tomorrow around 7 pm after counting starts at 5 pm, the BJP would create history by sending its first ever leader to the Rajya Sabha from Jammu and Kashmir.
Given the party position in the Assembly, the BJP-PDP combine is likely to win three seats and Azad, who has the support of 28 members including 12 of Congress, 15 of NC and CPI-M member M Y Tarigami, can win another term if two more members support him. Seven seats are shared by smaller parties and Independent candidates.
Mr Azad is believed to have met Independent members, former minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen and Engineer Rashid Ahmed in Srinagar, on Tuesday.
According to sources, the PDP-BJP combine has confirmed support of 57 MLAs including 28 of PDP, 25 of BJP, two of People's Conference and two independent candidates- Bakir Hussain Rizvi (Zanskar) and Pawan Gupta (Udhampur).
These votes have to be divided between two candidates. Azad has support of 28 candidates-15 of NC, 12 of Congress and one of CPM (Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami). However, support of two independent candidates- Hakim Mohammad Yasin and Engineer Rashid could decide the fate of Azad and one of the two candidates of PDP and BJP.
While out of two candidates of BJP-PDP combine (Chander Mohan Sharma and Nazir Ahmad Laway) one is sure to win, one of them could lose if Azad managed support of two Independents-Hakim Yasin and Engineer Rashid, which would take his votes to 30.
Led by National General Secretary Ram Madav, the BJP is working overtime to ensure the victory of their two candidates apart from the two PDP nominees it is backing. Mr Madav has held two meetings with party members and leaders since yesterday.
Talking to reporters in Jammu, he said a strategy was in place and PDP-BJP combine would win all the four seats.
Earlier, PDP Spokesman Nayeem Akhtar said, "There is a limited purpose (in fighting polls in coordination). Our purpose is that we should win two seats each. So we have done seat sharing arrangements (with BJP)."
The Rajya Sabha election is crucial for both PDP-BJP and NC-Congress combine. While this would be first test of PDP-BJP ahead of the Government formation, Azad's prestige is at stake as he would lose the status of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha ceased to be an MP if he was defeated tomorrow.
In Lok Sabha elections he lost from Udhampur-Dosa seat last year to BJP's Dr. Jitendra Singh.
