Srinagar, Oct 10 (IANS) The ruling National Conference (NC) on Friday announced its candidates for three seats for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, and for the 4th seat, the party informed that talks are underway with Congress.

Senior NC leaders, Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Shammi Oberoi, and Sajad Kichloo, have been nominated to contest the Rajya Sabha polls.

NC General Secretary, Ali Muhammad Sagar, told a media conference that the party has finalised three candidates and is currently in discussions with the Congress regarding the fourth seat.

“We have kept one seat open, and talks are ongoing with the Congress,” Sagar said.

NC leaders did not clarify whether they intend to leave one of the three safe seats for the Congress or offer them a competitive seat where the BJP holds an advantage.

While the alliance has 24 votes for the fourth seat, the BJP has 28 votes.

Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant in J&K as elections to these seats could not be held, as there was no legislative assembly after February 2021.

The Election Commission of India announced on September 24 that the elections for the four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir would be held on October 24, more than four years after they fell vacant.

The four Jammu and Kashmir seats fell vacant in February 2021 when the terms of the then-MPs Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Shamsher Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Nazir Ahmed Laway ended.

Since Jammu and Kashmir was under President’s Rule at the time and there was no Assembly in place, the elections for the four seats could not be held then.

J&K legislative assembly has 90 elected members, out of which the ruling NC has 42, BJP 29, Congress 6, PDP 3, CPI M 1, Peoples Conference 1, Aam Aadmi Party 1, Awami Ittehad Party 1 and 6 Independents, four of whom later joined the NC.

–IANS

sq/dan