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| Farooq, Shafi take oath as Rajya Sabha members | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 18: National Conference president and former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah along with his senior party colleague Mohammad Shafi today took oath of the Members of Rajya Sabha.
Both were elected to the Upper House of the Indian Parliament on February 13. Union Water Minister Saifuddin Soz and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who were elected earlier this month to the Rajya Sabha had taken their oath on Monday.
With both former Chief Ministers, Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad set to resign in next fourteen days, the coalition strength in the assembly house of 89-members will be reduced 44.
While the resignation of Farooq Abdullah and Azad would have no affect as far chance of coalition to romp home on ten of the eleven seats for states upper house is considered, it may give an external chance to opposition parties in the state to win any of the by-elections for three seats vacated by them.
Sources told PBI that the by-elections to three seats would be held by the election commission of India along with the parliamentary polls, likely to be held in April-May this year.
If sources in the NC are to be believed, Muhammad Sayeed Akhoon and Muhammad Yaseen Shah are the party candidates for Hazratbal and Sonawar constituencies in Srinagar. Congress, the sources told Press Bureau of India, is yet to finalize as to who would be fielded in place of Azad who has to resign from Bhaderwah constituency in Jammu region in next twelve days.
Sources said that the ruling NC-congress partners have agreed that they will not field any candidate against each other in the by-elections.
In the House of 89, Hazratbal seat is already vacant as senior Abdullah after winning election from two seats retained Sonwar.
Senior Abdullah and three-time chief minister who took oath of office along with party colleague Muhammad Shafi Uri as Rajya Sabha members today, will now have to resign the Sonawar seat in next fourteen days. Farooq Abdullah and Uri, who were elected in the biennial polls earlier this month, took affirmation of allegiance to the Constitution in Urdu and later shook hands with other members.
Pertinently, Farooq clinched the Sonwar seat by a narrow margin of 94 from his close rival Ghulam Qadir Pardesi of Peoples Democratic Party. While Farooq got 7018 voters, Sheikh Ghulam Qadir Pardesi got 25.79 percent of the total 39.61 votes polled and his score was 6924.
When Farooq and Azad resign, the Electoral College for the legislative Council polls would get reduce to 87 but would hardly impede the coalition to romp home on 10 of the 11 seats going for ballots, if necessary, on March 07.
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