Papers of two Independents rejected
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 14: Returning Officer for October 24 Rajya Sabha elections Manoj Kumar Pandit today rejected nomination papers of two Independent candidates leaving seven nominees-four from National Conference and three from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the fray.
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Pandit announced that nomination papers of two Independent candidates-Prabhakar Dada and Kante Sayanaa were rejected for being invalid and lacking requisite formalities.
“This has left seven candidates in the fray,” Pandit said, adding nomination papers of all four NC nominees and three from the BJP were found in order and were accepted.
NC candidates whose nomination papers have been accepted include Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sajjad Kitchloo, Gurwinder Singh Oberoi and Imran Nabi Dar while the BJP contestants whose papers were found in order were Sat Pal Sharma, Rakesh Mahajan and Ali Mohammad Mir.
The candidates can withdraw their nomination papers till October 16 while voting will be held on October 24 from 9 AM to 4 PM. Counting will be taken up the same day after 5 PM. Results are expected to be declared within few hours.
Entire election process has to be completed before October 28.
Now, Ali Mohammad Mir of BJP will face NC’s Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan for the election to first seat, while BJP’s Rakesh Mahajan and NC’s Sajjad Kitchloo will lock horns for second seat. For rest two seats, three candidates will be in the fray including Gurwinder Singh Oberoi alias Shammi Oberoi and Imran Nabi Dar (both National Conference) and Sat Pal Sharma ‘CA’ (BJP).
As per the Assembly’s strength, the NC will be safely through on three seats including the first which is being contested by Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan and second on which Sajjad Kitchloo is the party nominee. For third notification where two seats will go to polls, NC’s Shammi Oberoi and BJP’s Sat Sharma are expected to be easily through.
Four Rajya Sabha seats of Jammu and Kashmir fell vacant in February 2021 and elections for them are being held after four and half years.
Elections couldn’t be held initially in absence of the Legislature and then due to known reasons. The Legislature is in place since October last year.
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