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| Opinion divided on Rajya Sabha Polls in J&K | | PDP for postponement of elections | | Rustam
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 20: The PDP, which won 28 seats in the just-held assembly elections in J&K and emerged as the single largest party in the 87-member legislative assembly, wants the Election Commission of India to postpone the Rajya Sabha elections. The ECI has fixed February 7 as the day of election in J&K to fill the four vacancies in the Rajya Sabha. The incumbent four members of the Rajya Sabha belonging to J&K, two each from the NC and the Congress, will complete their six-year term between February 12 and 15. The PDP has urged the ECI to reconsider its decision keeping in view the fact that the new government is not in place and the political situation is fluid as the assembly elections threw up a hung assembly.
As for the BJP, the NC and the Congress, while the BJP has been busy in the selection process, the NC and the Congress, besides independent MLAs, are reportedly working day and night to work out a formula that helps the former allies win at least one Rajya Sabha seat. Reports suggest that the Congress is not only in touch with the PDP, but also suggest that "some top leaders" of the NC and the Congress are also in touch with each other to "upset the applecart of the BJP and the PDP". The PDP and the BJP can win two seats each in case they contest the election jointly and there is the possibility of both the parties contesting the election jointly. Developments which have unfolded during the last couple of days clearly suggest that the PDP and the BJP could forge an alliance anytime, as they have come to believe that they alone could provide a stable government.
In the meantime, certain elements in the establishment and outside have expressed themselves differently on the issue. According to the state Advocate General, Muhammad Ishaq Qadri, it is the sole discretion of the ECI to hold or defer the elections, as it an autonomous and constitutional body. On the other hand, senior counsel, Zaffar Ahmad Shah, has said that the MLAs-elect cannot take part in the scheduled Rajya Sabha elections.
However, the man who looks after the electoral affairs in the state, Chief Electoral Officer Umang Narula, has cleared the air by saying the ECI "has taken care of all legal aspects while announcing schedule for the Rajya Sabha polls". Since Umang Narula has put things in perspective, it can be said that elections would take place on February 7.
These elections are very important for Jammu. For, it would be for the time in the history of the state that the Rajya Sabha will also have members who would, unlike their predecessors, will talk about Jammu and its needs. If all goes well, the BJP will have two MPs from Jammu in the Rajya Sabha and if at all this happens, it would be a positive development in the sense that the PDP and the BJP would maintain regional balance. |
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