By Admin 
86 MLAs from Jammu and Kashmir exercised their franchise on Friday (October 24) in the elections for four Rajya Sabha seats. While one vote was cast through postal ballot. Now all eyes are on the counting of votes to be held at 5 pm today. The grand alliance of National Conference, Congress, PDP, CPIM, AAP, AIP and five independent MLAs is all set to achieve a massive victory in the elections and prevent BJP from winning the only seat which it was expected to win easily.
According to available information, 86 MLAs voted in the Rajya Sabha elections. While People’s Conference President and Handwara MLA Sajjad Lone did not participate in the voting. Two seats are vacant due to the resignation of Omar Abdullah from Budgam and the death of Devinder Rana from Nagrota seat.
Sources have confirmed that the postal ballot of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik, who is in custody, has also reached the returning officer. He will be included in the counting of votes. The returning officer said, “Polling has ended. But voting will formally close at 4:00 pm.”
With the support of National Conference from Congress, People’s Democratic Party, CPI(M) and independent MLAs, the number of MLAs has increased to 58. These numbers are enough to win all four seats.
Given the claims of the ruling coalition MLAs and independent MLAs, especially Sheikh Khurshid and Shabbir Kuli, the chances of BJP winning even a single seat seem slim. The alliance has 29 votes each for the third and fourth seats, while BJP has 28 votes for its candidate.
However, the BJP can win the seat only if MLAs from the alliance factions – National Conference, Congress, PDP or Independents – cross-vote. The People’s Conference’s decision to stay away from the election was primarily motivated by a desire to avoid the blame of any cross-voting and to distance itself from both the NC and the BJP.