PDP Extends Support to NC Amid Alliance Tensions and Strategic Manoeuvres

These long-overdue biennial polls, announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in September, aim to fill four vacant seats in the Upper House that have remained unoccupied since February 2021 following the retirement of former members Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Shamsher Singh, and Nazir Ahmed Laway.

The elections come at a pivotal moment, with the newly constituted 90-member Legislative Assembly serving as the electoral college. Two separate polls will be held for the first and second seats, while a combined election will cover the remaining two, with voting from 9 am to 4 pm and counting commencing at 5 pm on the same day.

In a significant pre-poll development, opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday formally announced its support for the ruling National Conference (NC) candidates, a move aimed at bolstering the “secular” alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, addressing a press conference here, declared, “We have decided to give support to the NC and vote for their candidates.”

She framed the decision as a pragmatic necessity rather than an endorsement of the NC's governance, stating, “This party (NC) doesn’t deserve it, but we have to give our support for the larger cause of keeping the fascist forces away.” Mufti's remarks underscored the PDP's overarching goal: to prevent the BJP from gaining any foothold in the Rajya Sabha representation from J&K.

The endorsement followed intensive internal deliberations within the PDP, including discussions with party leaders and its three MLAs, prompted by a direct outreach from the NC. Mufti revealed that NC president Farooq Abdullah had personally telephoned her to request support, while NC's Rajya Sabha candidate Shammi Oberoi met Mufti at her residence on Wednesday to further plead the case.

The PDP had earlier conditioned its backing on the NC's commitment to introduce two key private members' bills tabled by its MLAs: the Land Rights and Regularisation Bill, 2025, and the Daily Wagers Regularisation Bill.

Though the NC-Congress alliance, which propelled the NC-led coalition to power in the last year’s Assembly elections, has hit a rough patch over the allocation of the fourth Rajya Sabha seat, the sources indicate that the Congress too may vote in favour of the NC nominees.

Initially, the NC had offered this competitive berth to the Congress as a gesture of coalition solidarity, but the latter declined, citing concerns over its “safety” given the vote arithmetic. In response, the NC fielded its own candidate, spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar.

Congress sources here revealed that the party's legislature wing was convening to deliberate its stance, pending consultations with the central high command. The PCC had accused the NC of reneging on promises of a “safe seat,” leading to the Congress' boycott of a key coalition MLAs' meeting convened by the NC on Wednesday—a clear sign of discord.

Despite the public sparring, Farooq Abdullah remained optimistic, asserting to reporters, “The Congress is with us, and supports us.” He dismissed the absence of an official announcement as procedural, emphasising the shared goal of countering the BJP.

The Congress commands six MLAs, whose votes could be decisive in the tight contest for the fourth seat. Independent observers note that this episode reflects deeper strains in the INDIA bloc dynamics, with the Congress wary of diluting its bargaining power in a region where regional parties like the NC hold sway.

To consolidate its position, the NC on Thursday issued a stringent three-line whip, mandating all 39 MLAs to be present in the Assembly on polling day and to vote exclusively for the party's nominees. Issued by Chief Whip Mubarak Gul, the directive explicitly prohibits abstentions, absences, or cross-voting, with potential disciplinary action for defaulters under anti-defection laws. This measure underscores the NC's determination to secure a clean sweep, especially as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah convened a strategy session with allies, including CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and select independents, expressing confidence in clinching all four seats.

The NC has nominated former ministers Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan and Sajad Hussain Kichloo, alongside Shammi Oberoi, a close aide to Omar Abdullah known for his administrative acumen. For the fourth seat, Dar, NC's articulate spokesperson, steps in, aiming to leverage the party's core strength.

The BJP, with 28 MLAs in the 90-member Assembly is poised to mount a formidable contest, particularly for the fourth seat where numbers favour it. The party has fielded J&K unit president Sat Paul Sharma as its primary contender for this winnable slot, backed by its 28 second-preference votes against the NC's 24. To maintain a full slate and signal intent, the BJP also nominated Dr. Ali Muhammad Mir and Rakesh Mahajan as notional candidates for the first and second seats, which are expected to go unchallenged to the NC-led bloc. BJP leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma, held strategy huddles on Thursday, emphasising unity and outreach to independents.

Seven independents, unbound by anti-defection provisions, could sway outcomes, alongside votes from smaller parties like the People's Conference whole chairman Sajad Gani Lone has, however, announced a boycott, Awami Ittehad Party and AAP -all with just one MLA each. The Chief Minister has said that Lone’s abstaining from voting will help the BJP. But the PDP's three votes now tilt toward the NC, potentially narrowing the BJP's edge on the fourth seat to a razor-thin margin.