Srinagar, October 24, 2025 : In a historic milestone for Jammu and Kashmir’s restored democratic process, the first Rajya Sabha elections since the abrogation of Article 370 were conducted peacefully at the Srinagar Legislative Assembly complex on Friday. Out of 88 legislators, 86 cast their votes in person, while detained MLA Mehraj Malik exercised his franchise through postal ballot.
Backed by Congress, PDP, CPI(M), AIP, and six Independents, the ruling National Conference (NC) alliance secured a decisive majority, sweeping three out of the four seats.
The victorious NC nominees — Chowdhury Mohammed Ramzan, Sajjad Kichloo, and Shammi Oberoi — will represent Jammu and Kashmir in the Upper House, further consolidating the party’s influence within the 88-member Assembly.
The fourth seat witnessed a closely watched contest between NC’s Imran Nabi Dar and BJP’s Sat Sharma. Despite strong competition, Sharma emerged victorious with a margin of 32 votes, marking a significant win for the BJP in the Union Territory’s evolving political landscape.
With the NC bloc commanding 57 votes and the BJP 28, the saffron party’s hopes had rested on potential cross-voting from smaller groups or Independents. However, except for abstentions by the Peoples Conference, voting largely followed party lines.
NC leaders hailed the outcome as a reflection of voter confidence in the post-Article 370 political stability and reaffirmed the strength of the NC-led alliance in Jammu and Kashmir’s governance.
This election marks not only a return of electoral normalcy but also signals the reassertion of regional voices within India’s parliamentary framework.
