Srinagar: In a dramatic political turn, People’s Conference president Sajad Lone on Tuesday announced that his party will abstain from voting in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections — a move that could significantly boost the chances of BJP’s candidate Sat Sharma.
Lone, known for his fiery remarks and independent stance, made it clear that he would “rather die than vote for the National Conference (NC).” Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Lone lashed out at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, saying, “Stop dictating to us who we should vote for and who we should not. You cannot label us. You are not a prince.”
The development comes as a potential lifeline for the BJP, whose candidate Sat Sharma needs three non-BJP MLAs to abstain or vote in his favour to secure the fourth Rajya Sabha seat from Jammu and Kashmir. The ruling NC is expected to comfortably win three seats given its numerical strength in the Assembly.
On Monday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had said the Rajya Sabha polls would serve as a “true test” for parties in J&K — whether they stood with or against the BJP.
Lone, however, turned the tables on Abdullah, accusing him of hypocrisy and political opportunism. “Today you are in the dock. You have to prove to the people of J&K that you did not deny a Rajya Sabha seat to Congress on BJP’s orders. Prove that you are not sitting in BJP’s lap,” Lone said.
The People’s Conference chief, who previously served as a minister from the BJP quota in the PDP-led alliance government between 2015 and 2018, dismissed Abdullah’s claim that abstention equates to support for the BJP. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you next accuse the Congress of having a pact with the BJP. Your sense of entitlement is synonymous with lunacy,” Lone added with a characteristic sting.
With Lone’s declaration, the Rajya Sabha contest in Jammu and Kashmir has taken an unpredictable turn — one that could tilt the balance in favour of the BJP’s Sat Sharma, who now finds himself strategically positioned in the evolving political chessboard.
