Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on Monday accused the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of jointly “delivering” a Rajya Sabha seat to the BJP, calling the outcome a “fixed match” in the recent elections held in the Union Territory.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Lone raised questions over PDP’s role in the Rajya Sabha polls and cited an RTI reply, which he claimed showed that the party had not appointed any polling agent during the voting process.
He said the polling agent system is an important safeguard under anti-defection provisions to monitor how party legislators vote. “The RTI response shows PDP did not appoint any agent, which effectively meant their MLAs voted without any oversight,” Lone alleged.
Taking aim at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Lone questioned his remarks suggesting ignorance about the matter until the RTI disclosure surfaced. “Your Assembly administration, Speaker, and system were all functioning under your government. How did you not know that PDP had not appointed a polling agent?” he asked.
He further alleged that both NC and PDP acted in a coordinated manner that eventually benefited the BJP in the Rajya Sabha election. “One party did not appoint a polling agent, while the other did not object. Together, they ended up gifting the seat to the BJP,” he said.
Lone also referred to the 2024 Assembly elections, stating that they were fought on an anti-BJP narrative, but claimed the same parties later enabled BJP’s success in the Rajya Sabha polls. “I had called it a fixed match even then,” he said.
The Peoples Conference leader added that his party had earlier offered support if the seat was allocated to the Congress, but alleged that NC and PDP chose a different political path.
He also raised concerns over large-scale outsourcing in government departments, claiming that nearly 22,000 to 24,000 jobs had been outsourced in Jammu and Kashmir, involving expenditure of around ₹1,000 crore.
Lone urged media outlets to question all political parties over the Rajya Sabha outcome, saying the people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve transparency regarding the electoral process and decisions taken.
