As the first Rajya Sabha polls since Jammu and Kashmir’s downgrading to a Union territory and abrogation of Article 370 would be held on Friday, the NC holds the edge as the ruling party is assured of three seats while close fight is expected on seat No 4.

Three notifications have been issued by Election Commission for four vacant Rajya Sabha seats in J&K.
Chowdhury Mohammed Ramzan of NC is in a direct contest with Ali Mohammed Mir of BJP on seat No 1. For the second seat, NC’s Sajjad Kitchloo will fight against Rakesh Mahajan of the BJP.
The third notification will see a contest for two seats in which the NC has fielded party treasurer G S Oberoi, also known as Shammi Oberoi, and Imran Nabi Dar against BJP’s Sat Sharma.
The NC today issued a whip to all its MLAs to ensure their presence for casting votes in favour of the party candidates.
In the present 88 members J&K Assembly, NC has 41-members and has backing of the six Congress and one CPM MLAs, and six independents, taking its tally to 54.
The BJP has 28 members while PDP has 3, PC, AIP and AAP have one seat each.
The NC is assured of three seats while the seat No 4, where from BJP has strategically named its Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Sat Sharma, is likely to witness a close contest.
The People’s Conference chairman and MLA Sajad Gani Lone will abstain from the Rajya Sabha elections.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today expressed confidence that his party will win all four seats but deep down, he would also know that it would require every non-BJP vote to be cast in favour of NC candidates.
The BJP leaders also expressed optimism of winning one seat.
Jammu and Kashmir with four Rajya Sabha seats, had remained unrepresented in the Upper House since February 15, 2021, the day when Ghulam Nabi Azad and Nazir Ahmed Laway completed their terms.
Two other members — Fayaz Ahmed Mir and Shamsheer Singh Manhas — completed their terms on February 10 the same year.