SRINAGAR: In a major political development, the PDP chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has linked her party’s support to National Conference in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls in J&K if the ruling party helps in passage of at least two bills of the party in the Assembly session beginning from October 23.
Talking to reporters in Srinagar, Mehbooba said NC president Farooq Abdullah called her on phone and said they need “our support” in Rajya Sabha polls.
The polling for four vacant Rajya Sabha seats in J&K would be held on October 24.
As the present strength of J&K Assembly is 88 and NC enjoys support of 53 members, the ruling party is set to win three seats. If some non BJP opposition members don’t vote for NC or abstain from voting, the BJP is likely to win one seat.
“I told Abdullah that our senior party leadership will meet and decide. I also told him that we had brought some bills in the previous Assembly session and also in this upcoming session, and at least get few of them passed,” Mehbooba said.
She said if NC helps in passage of a few of their bills including Land Bill and the Regularisation of Daily Wagers Bill in the Assembly, then “we can think about supporting the NC”.
The PDP has dubbed party’s Land Rights & Regularisation Bill 2025 as “Anti Bulldozer” which aims to protect long-standing occupants from forcible evictions and grant legal ownership to those in continuous possession over decades.
The support of PDP, which has three members in the Assembly, is very important for NC to win the 4th seat and prevent BJP from winning a seat.
The Peoples Conference chairman and MLA Sajjad Gani Lone has already made it clear that he won’t vote for NC and will instead abstain.
It now remains to be seen whether Abdullahs will accept the PDP’s conditional support and agree to the passage of the party's two bills in the Assembly.
