Reshi, Mahmood, Sharma, Raina sail through; contest on 2 Jammu seats
Srinagar: Four candidates have been elected unopposed as members of Legislative Council Monday as BJP’s one of the covering candidates withdrew his nomination papers on the last day today.
Three candidates on Kashmir seats including PDP’s incumbent legislators Yasir Reshi, NC’s Aga Syed Mahmood, and BJP’s G L Raina alias Ajay Bharati were elected unopposed today, while BJP’s candidate on reserved seat of Poonch in Jammu region, Pradeep Kumar Sharma, was also elected unopposed as member of the Upper House of Jammu and Kashmir legislature. No other political party had fielded any candidate opposite to Sharma on Poonch seat.
Four candidates had filed nominations papers on three seats of Kashmir region.
“Ashok Kumar Bhat, who had filed his nomination papers on BJP’s seat withdrew his candidature today,” Muhammad Ramzan, Secretary legislative assembly and Returning officer of the elections, told KNS. “Four candidates stand elected unopposed,” he added.
Now, the contest remains on two seats of Jammu region between rival PDP-BJP and NC-Congress. Three candidates, Abdul Qayoom Dar (PDP), Choudhary Vikram Randhwha (BJP) and Thakur Balbir Singh (Congress) are in the race for these two seats.
As per the seat-sharing agreement between PDP and BJP, the coalition partners will first ensure Dar’s win by polling 30 votes in his favour. And on the second seat, a close contest is expected between BJP’s Randhwha and Congress’s Singh as both parties have 28 votes each for their respective candidates. The votes of independent legislators hold the key for the win on the second seat of Jammu.
The voting on these seats will be held on April 17 and counting will take place the same evening. The entire process will be completed on April 18.
Six seats are falling vacant on April 19 as the members on these seats will retire after two years term. Those members who are retiring include Jehangir Mir, Jugal Kishore of Congress, Dr Bashir Ahmed Veeri, Master Noor Hussain, DS Oberoi (deceased) of National Conference and ruling PDP’s Yasir Reshi. The seats becoming vacant belong to Kashmir region (three seats), Jammu (two separate) and one seat reserved for Poonch.
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