BJP’s ‘extra votes’ in Jammu and Kashmir Rajya Sabha poll sparks row; NC cites RTI, PDP rebuts

Srinagar: The BJP’s victory in one of the four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir has triggered a political row, with the ruling National Conference (NC) alleging that the party secured “extra votes” beyond its strength, and the opposition PDP rejecting the charge.

The controversy stems from the October 2025 elections—the first to the Rajya Sabha from the Union Territory (UT) in nearly a decade—which ended in a 3–1 result in favour of the NC.

The party’s candidates Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo and Gurwinder Singh Oberoi were elected, while the BJP’s J&K president Sat Sharma won the fourth seat.

At the centre of the dispute is a numerical mismatch flagged earlier by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The BJP, which has 28 MLAs in the Assembly, secured 32 votes in the election—indicating support from at least four legislators outside its ranks.

Abdullah termed the outcome a “betrayal”, maintaining that none of his party’s votes had been diverted.

Building on this, the NC has cited information obtained under the RTI Act to claim that the PDP was the only party that did not appoint a chief polling agent during the election. Such agents are authorised to verify ballots, monitor counting and raise objections in case of discrepancies.

The NC argues that the absence of a PDP agent reduced scrutiny at a crucial stage, potentially allowing cross-voting to go unchecked in a tightly contested poll.

The issue has also played out on social media, with sharp exchanges between the two parties.

NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, who was also in the fray, wrote on X: “Cross voters in J&K Rajya Sabha exposed. Now the question is what made @jkpdp MLAs vote for @BJP4India candidate Sat Sharma… Possible explanations: (1) Money & access to power corridors (2) Promise of perks (3) Traditional allegiance with BJP (4) Urge to betray people of J&K.”

Responding, PDP spokesperson Mohit Bhan said: “PDP didn’t even field a candidate. Agents are appointed by candidates, not parties… We have 4 MLAs, and since none of ours contested, appointing agents isn’t our mandate.”

He also accused the NC of targeting the PDP despite, he claimed, benefiting from its support earlier.

While cross-voting is not uncommon in Rajya Sabha elections—held through proportional representation with MLAs casting open ballots—the NC maintains that the outcome was not in line with Assembly arithmetic. It has not named legislators who may have voted across party lines.

Why it matters
Rajya Sabha elections are crucial to the national balance of power, as they determine party strength in Parliament’s Upper House, where the BJP does not always enjoy a majority.

Even a single seat can influence the passage of legislation, particularly in closely contested votes.