RS Elections: Cross-voting exposes rift within INDIA bloc; non-BJP parties exchange accusations

Within minutes of the declaration of results for the four Rajya Sabha seats, non-BJP parties began shifting blame onto each other for the Saffron Party's unexpected victory on one seat, attributed to cross-voting by four Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

Four MLAs from the Omar Abdullah-led coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir reportedly voted in favour of BJP candidate Sat Pal Sharma, while "deliberate" vote cancellations helped the BJP pull off a surprise win.

"So BJP wins the fourth seat. As predicted — a fixed match. Axis of evil: NC and BJP. Thank God I abstained. Imagine what my plight would have been. Now it's mathematically proved that it was a fixed match. Why did NC poll extra votes for candidate 3? They didn't need to. They polled 31 votes for candidate 3; only 29 votes would have sufficed — even 28, because BJP was fighting for seat 4. Who cross-voted, whose votes were rejected, and who was hand in glove?" posted Peoples Conference chairman, MLA from Handwara, and Omar Abdullah's arch-rival, Sajad Gani Lone, on social media.

Sajad Lone

As Chief Minister Omar Abdullah clarified that no NC MLA voted in favour of the BJP candidate, Sajad Lone questioned the logic behind the vote distribution.

"I read Omar Abdullah's tweet stating that nobody from NC cross-voted. I beg to ask — why poll 31 votes for candidate 3 and leave just 28 votes for candidate 4? Had there been no cross-voting, there would have been a tie. A serious effort would have meant 30 votes for candidate 3, leaving 29 for candidate 4 — over the BJP's 28. Please explain how NC could win the fourth seat when they left only 28 votes for candidate 4. At best, it would have been a tie," Lone asked.

Meanwhile, former J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani accused the NC of having a secret understanding with the BJP.
"Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had an understanding — one Rajya Sabha seat and one Nagrota seat for the BJP. They tried to fool Congress again, just like in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. It was my advanced prediction," Wani posted on social media.

Defeated NC Candidate Launches Veiled Attack on PDP

National Conference candidate Imran Nabi Dar, who lost to BJP's Sat Pal Sharma, expressed deep disappointment, hinting at betrayal from within the opposition alliance.

"Those we trusted have betrayed us," Dar said, reflecting the party's frustration over the result that handed victory to the BJP despite the NC-led alliance's numerical advantage.

Without naming anyone directly, Dar suggested that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) might have played a questionable role in the voting. "We have our doubts about the PDP," he said, adding that the outcome calls for introspection within the INDIA bloc.

Dar's remarks have intensified political tremors across Jammu and Kashmir, exposing potential cracks within the opposition ranks ahead of upcoming by-elections and future political contests.
"We stood united in spirit, but somewhere, trust was broken," Dar remarked, adding that the party will review the events leading to the setback.

All NC Votes Intact, Claims Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asserted that all National Conference votes remained intact across the four Rajya Sabha elections and questioned where the BJP's four extra votes came from. He also asked who the MLAs were who deliberately invalidated their ballots by marking the wrong preference numbers.

Taking to social media, Omar wrote:
"All of @JKNC_ votes remained intact across the four elections, as witnessed by our election agent who saw each polling slip. There was no cross-voting from any of our MLAs. So the question arises — where did the four extra votes for the BJP come from? Who were the MLAs who deliberately invalidated their votes by marking the wrong preference number while voting? Do they have the guts to put their hands up and own up to helping the BJP after promising us their votes? What pressure or inducement made them make this choice? Let's see if any of the BJP's secret team own up to selling their souls!"

He congratulated his party's winning candidates — Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sajad Kichloo, and Shammi Oberoi — on their Rajya Sabha victories. "I wish them well as they begin a new innings representing the people of J&K in the Parliament of India," he said.

"At the same time, my heart goes out to my young colleague Imran Nabi Dar. We put in our best effort to get him elected, but were let down at the last moment. It's not easy to lose a hard-fought election, but I'm confident other opportunities will open up for him soon," Omar Abdullah added.