Nagender Jamwal
Jammu, January 23: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may contest the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections jointly so that both the parties are working on a formula wherein the BJP would field its candidates from Jammu and the PDP from Kashmir, sources said.
Sources said that BJP has finalized its list of candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections from Jammu region while the PDP from Kashmir.
Even the PDP spokesman, Naeem Akhter confirmed that party on Friday decided to field Fayaz Ahmad Mir and Nazir Ahmad Laway for two Rajya Sabha seats for which elections are scheduled on February 7. Mir fought recent assembly elections from Kupwara segment of north Kashmir while as Laway fought from Kulgam constituency on the PDP ticket. Both lost to their rivals of PC and CPI (M) respectively by 151 and 334 votes.
Pertinently, PDP has nominated only its two candidates for the said election while as election is to be conducted for four seats.
The party obviously has kept two seats for BJP which is an indication that the two parties have reached and agreement to form the next government. Both are negotiating “a deal” ever since the assembly elections were declared.
Meanwhile, BJP sources revealed that BJP has decided to submit names of five probable candidates (for the RS polls) from Jammu region to the party high command in New Delhi on Friday.
“The names of former MLA and National Executive Member, Ashok Kahjuria, former state president and Core Group member, Shamsher Singh Manhas, advocate Chander Mohan Sharma, state vice-president, advocate Vobodh Gupta, and senior leader, Kuldeep Raj Gupta, will be submitted to the party high command today for its final nod,” BJP sources confirmed.
Sources said that a criterion was laid down whereby the leaders who lost the recent assembly elections “were not considered for the elections to the Upper House.
But BJP senior leaders said that Party has aspirants from all the three regions of the state but the final decision has been taken by the high command, and added that the list of candidates for the election has been submitted to high command soon.