Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 29: Ruling PDP and BJP Alliance today almost bagged three seats of the Legislative Council while another seat went to the main Opposition National Conference, leaving two seats of Jammu division wide open for the contest among three candidates—one each of PDP, BJP and Congress, on April 17.
Official sources told the Excelsior that on the last date of filing nomination papers today, a total of eight candidates filed papers for six seats of the Legislative Council for biennial election to be held on April 17.
Only four candidates have filed nomination papers for three seats of Kashmir division and one of them was covering candidate of the BJP, which means there were only three candidates in fray for an equal number of seats. Also for lone seat reserve for Poonch district, BJP candidate Pradeep Sharma alone filed the nomination papers.
Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place tomorrow at 11 am.
Returning Officer for the elections, Mohammad Ramzan told the Excelsior that there was legal provision under which if there were the number of candidates and seats same, the candidates will be declared elected unopposed after expiry of deadline of withdrawal of nomination papers. In the election for six seats, the Election Commission of India has fixed April 3 as last date for withdrawal of nomination papers.
Therefore, Ramzan said, if BJP covering candidate opts out on Kashmir seat, four vacancies of the MLCs will be decided unopposed on April 3.
Four candidates, who have filed their nomination papers for three seats of Kashmir division, included Yasir Reshi (PDP), GL Raina alias Ajay Bharti (BJP), Aga Syed Mehmood Al Mousvi (NC) and Ashok Kumar Bhat (covering candidate for Ajay Bharti of BJP).
BJP’s Pradeep Sharma filed lone nomination for seat reserved for Poonch district.
Sources said with Bhat likely to withdraw his nomination papers on April 3, all three candidates on equal number of Kashmir seats will be declared elected to the Legislative Council. Pradeep Sharma will also be declared elected on the same day.
With this, PDP-BJP Alliance will win three seats of the Legislative Council uncontested and National Conference one. BJP’s Ajay Bharti and Pradeep Sharma, PDP’s Yasir Reshi and NC’s Aga Syed Mehmood Al Mousvi will be given certificate of election on April 3 by the Returning Officer.
This will leave the contest on two seats of Jammu division for which three candidates today filed nomination papers. They included Abdul Qayoom Dar (PDP), Vikram Randhawa (BJP) and Balbir Singh (Congress).
As per the PDP-BJP understanding, Dar has to be given safe passage to the Legislative Council with 30 out of 58 votes with the Ruling Alliance. Rest 28 votes will be polled to Randhawa. Balbir Singh has 27 votes of National Conference and Congress. This will leave the contest between Randhawa and Balbir, who will have to bank upon the support of four Independents and Others including MY Tarigami (CPM), Hakim Mohammad Yasin (PDF), Pawan Gupta and Engineer Rashid. The vote or abstentions of the four Independents will play crucial role in the victory of Balbir Singh or Vikram Randhawa.
The election for two seats of Jammu division will be held on April 17 and the counting will take place the same day. Results will be out by the night.
Eight-nine MLAs (87 elected and two nominated women) comprised Electoral College for the MLC elections.
OF six seats, Yasir Reshi will be the lone leader, who will get second term in the Upper House. He is already a member of the Council but had two-year term only. BJP’s Ajay Bharti and Pradeep Sharma will be entering any House of the Legislature for the first time. NC’s Aga Syed Mehmood Al Mousvi will also make his maiden entry to the Upper House though he had been an MLA from 1996-2002 and had also served as the Minister of State.
On Jammu seats, PDP’s Abdul Qayoom Dar and BJP’s Vikram Randhawa were trying their luck for any House of the Legislature for the first time while Balbir Singh of Congress had also been a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 2002.
Senior leaders of all four major political parties, who have joined the fray for biennial election to six Legislative Council seats, accompanied their candidate during filing of nomination papers.
Several Ministers and legislators including Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh accompanied PDP and BJP candidates while former Ministers, legislators and former MLAs joined NC and Congress candidates.
Speaking to reporters, Dr Nirmal Singh said some pro-Pakistani elements were trying to create disturbances in the Kashmir valley as they don’t want democracy to flourish there.
“As by-election to two Lok Sabha seats are being held in the Valley, the pro-Pakistan elements are giving boycott call,’’ Dr Singh said, adding that the boycott call will be rejected by the people this time too like 2014 Parliament and Assembly elections.
Dr Singh said some elements were misleading the youth to take to stoning and gun while they themselves were enjoying the life.
On talks, the Deputy Chief Minister said the Agenda of Alliance between PDP and BJP has made it clear that there will be talks with all stakeholders on Kashmir. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had visited Kashmir and offered talks but the separatists refused to meet the delegation, he recalled.
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