Srinagar, Oct 25,: Independent candidate from South Kashmir’s Shopian, Shabir Ahmed Kullay, has reacted sharply to the outcome of the recent Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to secure one of the four seats amid allegations of cross-voting.
Expressing disappointment over the results, Kullay said that the people of Kashmir have always remained loyal to regional political parties, but those very parties have repeatedly betrayed their trust. He questioned the integrity of some lawmakers whose unexpected votes tilted the balance in favour of the BJP. “The four lawmakers who voted for the BJP need to be identified and exposed before the public,” he said, stressing that such acts of political disloyalty have long weakened the democratic spirit of Jammu and Kashmir.
The BJP’s candidate, Sat Sharma, secured victory with four votes more than expected, triggering widespread debate within the political circles of the Union Territory. The National Conference, which had fielded Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Shami Oberoi, Imran Nabi Dar, and Sajad Kitchloo, was earlier confident of sweeping all four seats with the support of allied parties. However, the final results saw the BJP claiming one seat, sparking allegations of cross-voting from within the regional bloc.
Notably, NC lawmaker from Khan Sahab constituency, Saifuddin Bhat, has admitted that his vote was rejected, further adding to the controversy surrounding the election process.
Kullay said the incident has once again exposed the fragility of political unity in Jammu and Kashmir. He urged regional parties to introspect and take immediate corrective steps to prevent such political setbacks in the future. “The people of Kashmir have stood by their parties for decades, but time and again, those in leadership have failed to uphold their faith,” he said.
The Independent leader asserted that accountability and transparency must prevail if regional parties wish to regain the moral trust of their voters. [KNT]
