National Conference president Farooq Abdullah.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Srinagar: As National Conference (NC) prepares to reclaim political space in Jammu and Kashmir after its resounding victory in the recent Assembly elections, party president Farooq Abdullah is all set to represent the Union Territory in the Rajya Sabha, sources said.
“He (Abdullah) is a guiding force for us and once the new Assembly is formed, we will hold polls for Rajya Sabha. There is a consensus within the party that Farooq sahab should go to Rajya Sabha to represent NC there and also rake the issues of people of J&K,” a senior NC leader told DH.
Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the election process would allow the 90-member J&K Assembly to elect four representatives to the Rajya Sabha. Alongside Abdullah, there were talks of sending Nasir Aslam Wani as the second member, reflecting the party's strategy to strengthen its presence in the national political arena.
The Election Commission of India was expected to issue the notification soon. Wani, a close confidant of chief minister in waiting Omar Abdullah, lost the Assembly election from north Kashmir’s Kupwara seat earlier this week.
There will be tough competition for the third Rajya Sabha seat as the BJP has 29 members in the Assembly. At present, Ghulam Ali Khatana is the only member, who represents J&K in Rajya Sabha. He being a Gujjar face, was nominated by the BJP. The BJP’s move was aimed to woo Gujjar votes in the recently concluded Assembly polls.
The last Rajya Sabha elections in J&K were held in February 2015, immediately after the Assembly elections were held. The NC-Congress alliance had secured one seat while the then Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad became the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha. All four Rajya Sabha members from J&K retired in February 2021.