PDP Backs National Conference in Upcoming Rajya Sabha Elections

PDP's Support for National Conference

On Thursday, Mehbooba Mufti, the leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), announced her party's decision to support the ruling National Conference in the Rajya Sabha elections for four vacant seats in Jammu and Kashmir.

The elections for these Rajya Sabha seats, which have remained unfilled since 2021, are scheduled for Friday.

Mufti indicated that the PDP is prepared to endorse three of the four candidates put forth by the National Conference.

She expressed optimism that her party would receive reciprocal support for its private member bills during the current Assembly session, as reported by a news outlet.

Mufti mentioned that she had a conversation with Farooq Abdullah, the National Conference leader, recently, and noted that one of the candidates, Shammi Oberoi, had also met with her.

“They have assured us, and we are placing our trust in their commitment,” Mufti stated, adding that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has promised not to hinder any beneficial legislation.

The PDP plans to back the National Conference candidate as a 'third preference', emphasizing that while the ruling party may not fully deserve it, the priority is to prevent the rise of fascist and communal forces.

Mufti called for the National Conference's support on two significant bills that the PDP intends to introduce: a land rights bill, informally known as the 'anti-bulldozer' bill, and a bill for the regularization of daily wage workers, according to reports.

The former chief minister explained her rationale for supporting the National Conference, stating that the overarching aim is to protect the rights of Jammu and Kashmir residents, while also highlighting the broader struggle of the Opposition INDIA bloc.

Although both the National Conference and the PDP are part of the national Opposition INDIA alliance, they are rivals within the Union Territory.

Mufti clarified that the PDP would not support the National Conference's fourth candidate, suggesting that if that candidate were to lose, the blame would be placed on the PDP.

In addition to Oberoi, the National Conference has nominated Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sajad Kitchloo, and Imran Nabi Dar for the Rajya Sabha elections.

Initially, the ruling party had offered the fourth seat to the Congress, but the Congress party later withdrew its support due to unfavorable projections.

On Thursday, the Congress announced its backing for all four National Conference candidates.

“To safeguard J&K’s rights and strengthen the INDIA Alliance, we’ll vote for NC in the Rajya Sabha polls. We’ll vote for their candidate Shammi Oberoi on the 3rd RS seat but not the 4th, else if they’ll loose the seat, NC will conveniently blame PDP.

We also trust that NC will… pic.twitter.com/MDQAx1unHV

— J&K PDP (@jkpdp) October 23, 2025

All four Rajya Sabha seats have been vacant since the terms of the previous members ended in 2021, as there was no Legislative Assembly in the Union Territory at that time, according to the Election Commission.

The former members included Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Shamsher Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Nazir Ahmed Laway.