With patriotic slogans echoing and supporters in high spirits, BJP candidates officially submitted their nominations for three Rajya Sabha seats representing Jammu and Kashmir. The nomination ceremony, held at the Legislative Assembly complex in Srinagar, saw a strong turnout, including Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh, 28 BJP MLAs, and other party stalwarts. The BJP had finalized its candidates for three of the four impending Rajya Sabha elections on October 12. Leveraging its substantial presence in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the party is assured of winning at least one seat and aspires to influence the outcome of the remaining contests. The election is scheduled for October 24, 2025.
The BJP’s selected candidates are Satpal Sharma, a former state party chief and minister, considered a strong contender due to the party’s advantage in Jammu; Rakesh Mahajan, the Vice President of the J&K BJP, representing the Rajouri-Poonch district; and Ali Mohammad Mir, a senior leader from Budgam, serving the Kashmir region. Sharma emphasized their commitment to the ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ agenda and pledged to accelerate development, addressing any shortcomings since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. He also reaffirmed the trust in the Prime Minister’s commitment to restoring statehood. The four Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant in February 2021 as the tenures of previous MPs concluded. In the 90-member J&K Assembly, the BJP’s 28 MLAs guarantee them at least one seat. Their decision to field candidates for three seats is poised to make the elections more dynamic. The National Conference (NC) and Congress alliance has also announced its candidates. The NC has put forward Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Shammi Oberoi, and Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo, who are expected to secure victory. Conversely, the Congress party has opted out, deeming the fourth seat offered by the NC as ‘unsafe,’ creating potential disunity among non-BJP voters for that specific seat.