The first Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 were held peacefully on Thursday at the Srinagar Legislative Assembly complex, ending a decade-long gap in the Union Territory's representation in the Upper House.

Out of 88 legislators, 86 cast their votes in person, while detained Doda MLA Mehraj Malik voted through postal ballot. Peoples Conference (PC) chief Sajad Lone abstained from voting. The polling marked a significant moment in J&K's political timeline ' the first such election since the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019.

The National Conference (NC)-led alliance, supported by the Congress, PDP, CPI(M), AIP, and several Independents, emerged as the clear frontrunner, securing victory on three of the four seats. NC nominees Chowdhury Mohammed Ramzan, Sajjad Kichloo, and Shami Oberoi are poised to enter the Rajya Sabha, reaffirming the party's dominant position in the 88-member Assembly.

The fourth seat witnessed a close contest between NC's Imran Nabi Dar and BJP's Sat Sharma, with the NC bloc commanding 57 votes against the BJP's 28. The NC leadership said the results reflect public trust in the post-Article 370 political stability and the strength of the NC-led alliance in Jammu and Kashmir's evolving democratic landscape.

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