The ruling National Conference on Friday announced the names of its three candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls to be held on October 24, and said discussions were on with the Congress for the fourth seat.

Addressing a press conference, NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said the party has finalised the names of Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Shammi Oberoi and Sajad Kitchloo as its nominees.
“The party has kept one seat open, and talks are on with the Congress,” Sagar said.
Ramzan, a senior NC leader from north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, lost last year’s Assembly elections to Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone.
Oberoi, a businessman-turned-politician, is the treasurer and Sikh face of the party, while Kitchloo, a former minister and ex-MLA from Kisthwar, lost last year’s Assembly polls to BJP’s Shagun Parihar.
Jammu and Kashmir has four Rajya Sabha seats.
Sagar said the names were finalised after a meeting of the NC’s core committee.
Polling for four Rajya Sabha seats, which have been vacant since 2021, is scheduled for October 24.
The 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly currently has an effective strength of 88. The NC holds 41 seats, and with the support of the CPI(M)'s lone MLA and five of the seven independents, its strength is 47. The Congress, which has six MLAs, brings the total strength of the NC-Congress alliance to 53. The BJP holds 28 seats.