Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah speaks during the autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in Srinagar, Monday, October 27, 2025. | Photo credit: IMRAN NISSAR
The mystery of cross-voting legislators who “deliberately” tampered with votes during the recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir deepened on Monday (October 27, 2025).
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he wanted to know the names of the legislators who voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “There were people who sold their conscience. They answer to Allah and Bhagwan. I wish their names would come out,” Mr Abdullah said.
On October 24, the ruling National Conference (NC) won three Rajya Sabha seats and lost one seat to the BJP despite having the numbers. The BJP, with just 28 votes in the J&K Assembly, managed to secure 34 votes in the fourth round of voting for Rajya Sabha seats.
“One independent MLA admitted to me that he voted wrongly in the third round. However, for the fourth seat, four votes were in favor of the BJP and three were deliberately destroyed. It is evident that the BJP has tried to lure people. A summons or anything (else) can only be answered by the BJP,” Mr Abdullah said.
In the election of Rajya Sabha members in the 88-member J&K assembly, the BJP opposed the ruling alliance and all the local opposition parties came together. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also extended their support to the 47-member NC-Congress alliance.
In the first round, the NR candidate received 58 votes. J&K Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone decided to abstain from voting.
“We decided to fight for the fourth seat. However, it became difficult from day one when Handwara MLA (Mr. Lone) decided to stay away,” Mr. Abdullah said.
The issue of cross-voting gripped the J&K Assembly on Monday as members of the ruling alliance raised slogans of “Vote chori” (theft). “Sarei raaz khol dunga (I will reveal all the secrets),” J&K Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said. However, even Mr. Choudhary did not name any individual or party on the issue of cross-voting.
Meanwhile, the BJP leader and the Leader of Opposition in the J&K Assembly said they did not know who voted for his party. “The day I know, I will visit them and thank them. We have reached out to all parties and individuals for support,” Mr Sharma said.
NC is unable to identify crossover voters. The party says a polling agent checked and found that all NC votes were intact.
Congress and PDP also claimed to have voted for the alliance. However, independent or single-member parties had no polling agent to confirm their voting pattern.
Published – 27 Oct 2025 21:02 IST
