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Omar Abdullah explicitly asked which MLAs ‘deliberately invalidated their votes’ or ‘voted wrong’ after promising support to the NC
The results defied the clear arithmetic of the J&K assembly, where the National Conference (NC)-led alliance had the numerical strength to comfortably win three seats. File image
The BJP’s win of a Rajya Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir has ignited a major political controversy, with allegations of foul play, cross-voting, and a “fixed match” dominating the political discourse. The results defied the clear arithmetic of the J&K assembly, where the National Conference (NC)-led alliance had the numerical strength to comfortably win three seats and was positioned to contest the fourth against the BJP.
The core of the controversy centres on the fourth seat, which the Bharatiya Janata Party managed to secure. NC vice president and J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah immediately took to social media to allege “horse-trading”, questioning the source of the four extra votes the BJP needed. He explicitly asked which MLAs “deliberately invalidated their votes” or “voted wrong” after promising support to the NC, suggesting that these unnamed legislators had “sold their souls” due to “pressure or inducement”. Abdullah’s statement firmly indicated a breach in the anti-BJP ranks.
The allegations were further fuelled by Jammu & Kashmir People’s Conference chief Sajjad Lone, who abstained from voting. Lone’s public statement, however, turned the fire back on the NC, labelling the entire result a “fixed match” and an “Axis of the evil: NC and BJP”. Lone questioned why the NC had polled an unnecessarily high 31 votes for its third candidate when a lower number would have sufficed, implying a deliberate over-polling that may have sacrificed the fourth seat. His dramatic abstention, along with other non-aligned MLAs, provided the space the BJP needed, yet he framed his non-participation as an avoidance of being part of a pre-determined outcome, and accused the NC of actively working to deny the Congress a “safe” Rajya Sabha seat.
Observers say the political drama underscores the deep factionalism and mistrust among the non-BJP parties in the newly formed J&K assembly.
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
October 24, 2025, 21:01 IST
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