JAMMU, Oct 14:
The race for a Rajya Sabha seat from Jammu and Kashmir has intensified within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with J&K BJP President Ravinder Raina and former Deputy Chief Ministers Kavinder Gupta and Dr. Nirmal Singh emerging as frontrunners. Following the completion of the recent Assembly elections, the vacant Upper House seats from J&K, which have remained unfilled during President’s Rule, are now set to be occupied.
According to sources, these three senior BJP leaders are considered strong contenders for the party’s sole nomination to the Rajya Sabha. Despite losing his own seat in Nowshera, Ravinder Raina’s leadership was credited with the party’s historic performance in the recent polls, where BJP secured 29 seats, surpassing its previous record of 25 in the 2014 elections. Under his leadership, the party also achieved the highest vote share at 25.64%, outpacing the National Conference (NC) which garnered 23.43%. The Congress and PDP followed with 11.97% and 8.87%, respectively.
Meanwhile, Kavinder Gupta and Dr. Nirmal Singh, both of whom were not given tickets to contest in the recent Assembly polls, remain in the running for the Upper House seat. Party insiders suggest that the BJP high command had assured them of significant roles, hinting at possible Rajya Sabha nominations.
The four Rajya Sabha seats from J&K have been vacant for an extended period due to the absence of an elected legislative assembly.
