PDP-BJP alliance pushes NC-Congress tie-up as BJP sure to win 2 seats and PDP and Congress one each
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, Jan 27: With the PDP tying its knot to the BJP and the new electoral alliance deciding to field four candidates---2 each from PDP and BJP---in the Rajya Sabha election on four seats in Jammu and Kashmir, the outgoing coalition allies NC and Congress on Tuesday decided to contest all four seats jointly with the support of CPIM and three independent MLAs.
While as PDP had already nominated Nazir Ahmad Laway and Fayaz Ahmad Mir as its candidates on the two seats, BJP on Tuesday made it public that advocate Chander Mohan Sharma and former State president and member of National Executive Shamsher Singh Manhas would be fielded on the remaining two seats.
The dark horses were picked up by both the parties, disappointing a number of senior leaders and high profile contenders. Those dropped by BJP include retired IGP Farooq Khan, senior advocate Sunil Sethi, former three-time MLA and former State President Ashok Khajuria as also National Secretary Ram Madhav. According to insiders, senior leaders and former legislators Dilawar Mir and Nizam ud din Bhat, Dr Mehboob Beg, Pir Mohammad Hussain besides two senior journalists associated with a Jammu-based English daily, one each from Kashmir and Jammu, were under consideration in PDP until the little known Laway and Mir were picked up by the party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Knowledgeable sources revealed that the Congress high command roped in NC acting president Omar Abdullah and convinced him on supporting Ghulam Nabi Azad on one of the four seats. Called for a meeting, Omar in New Delhi met AICC President Sonia Gandhi and General Secretary Rahul Gandhi whereafter NC decided to field Nasir Aslam Wani and Sajjad Kichloo, both former MLAs and Ministers of State for Home, on two seats. NC-Congress may leave the 3rd seat vacant for the PDP candidate so as to keep all 30-32 votes to ensure Mr Azad's victory on the 4th seat.
Sources said that Mr Azad was immediately rushed to Jammu to seek support from the CPIM MLA Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, PDF MLA Hakeem Yasin besides two independent MLAs Engineer Rashid and Aga Syed Baqir. "After the PDP-BJP tie up, Mr Hakeem has dragged his feet. Mr Tarigami has assured us support and we are hopeful of getting support from Eng Rashid and Aga Sahab, making it 31", said a senior Congress leader. He said that Mr Azad could also approach the BJP rebel Pawan Gupta who defeated the official BJP candidate in Udhampur mainly with the advantage of NC's support and 16,000 Muslim vote.
With this development, NC-CONGRESS alliance is sure to win at least one seat, while as BJP could take the first two sure seats (28+25+2= 55).
By this calculation, it could be 55:31 on the PDP-BJP alliance's first two sure seats each. PDP-BJP would have to reserve 32 votes for the 3rd seat (33 if Gupta sided with NC-Cong) to ensure victory of the PDP candidate. In 32:0, it could go unopposed in favour of PDP. NC-Cong would have to reserve all its 31-32 votes for the 4th seat which could be won by Mr Azad in 31(NC-Cong):23 (PDP-BJP).
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Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, Jan 27: With the PDP tying its knot to the BJP and the new electoral alliance deciding to field four candidates---2 each from PDP and BJP---in the Rajya Sabha election on four seats in Jammu and Kashmir, the outgoing coalition allies NC and Congress on Tuesday decided to contest all four seats jointly with the support of CPIM and three independent MLAs.
While as PDP had already nominated Nazir Ahmad Laway and Fayaz Ahmad Mir as its candidates on the two seats, BJP on Tuesday made it public that advocate Chander Mohan Sharma and former State president and member of National Executive Shamsher Singh Manhas would be fielded on the remaining two seats.
The dark horses were picked up by both the parties, disappointing a number of senior leaders and high profile contenders. Those dropped by BJP include retired IGP Farooq Khan, senior advocate Sunil Sethi, former three-time MLA and former State President Ashok Khajuria as also National Secretary Ram Madhav. According to insiders, senior leaders and former legislators Dilawar Mir and Nizam ud din Bhat, Dr Mehboob Beg, Pir Mohammad Hussain besides two senior journalists associated with a Jammu-based English daily, one each from Kashmir and Jammu, were under consideration in PDP until the little known Laway and Mir were picked up by the party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Knowledgeable sources revealed that the Congress high command roped in NC acting president Omar Abdullah and convinced him on supporting Ghulam Nabi Azad on one of the four seats. Called for a meeting, Omar in New Delhi met AICC President Sonia Gandhi and General Secretary Rahul Gandhi whereafter NC decided to field Nasir Aslam Wani and Sajjad Kichloo, both former MLAs and Ministers of State for Home, on two seats. NC-Congress may leave the 3rd seat vacant for the PDP candidate so as to keep all 30-32 votes to ensure Mr Azad's victory on the 4th seat.
Sources said that Mr Azad was immediately rushed to Jammu to seek support from the CPIM MLA Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, PDF MLA Hakeem Yasin besides two independent MLAs Engineer Rashid and Aga Syed Baqir. "After the PDP-BJP tie up, Mr Hakeem has dragged his feet. Mr Tarigami has assured us support and we are hopeful of getting support from Eng Rashid and Aga Sahab, making it 31", said a senior Congress leader. He said that Mr Azad could also approach the BJP rebel Pawan Gupta who defeated the official BJP candidate in Udhampur mainly with the advantage of NC's support and 16,000 Muslim vote.
With this development, NC-CONGRESS alliance is sure to win at least one seat, while as BJP could take the first two sure seats (28+25+2= 55).
By this calculation, it could be 55:31 on the PDP-BJP alliance's first two sure seats each. PDP-BJP would have to reserve 32 votes for the 3rd seat (33 if Gupta sided with NC-Cong) to ensure victory of the PDP candidate. In 32:0, it could go unopposed in favour of PDP. NC-Cong would have to reserve all its 31-32 votes for the 4th seat which could be won by Mr Azad in 31(NC-Cong):23 (PDP-BJP).
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