The National Conference (NC), which emerged as the single-largest party in the recent Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, has received a significant boost with four independent MLAs extending their support to the party. The NC, led by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, now has the backing of 46 legislators, crossing the majority mark in the 90-member assembly.
On Thursday, Omar Abdullah, who is set to become the next Chief Minister, announced that four of the seven independent candidates who won in the elections have joined forces with the NC. Abdullah was unanimously chosen as the leader of the NC’s legislature party following the party’s election victory.
The four independent MLAs who have pledged support are:
- Pyare Lal Sharma from Inderwal
- Satish Sharma from Chhamb
- Choudhary Mohammed Akram from Surankote
- Dr. Rameshwar Singh from Bani
These legislators won their seats with varying margins, with Dr. Rameshwar Singh securing his victory by 2,048 votes, Choudhary Mohammed Akram by 8,851 votes, Satish Sharma by 6,929 votes, and Pyare Lal Sharma by a narrow 643 votes, according to the Election Commission.
With this support, the NC’s total seat count has reached 46, granting the party a clear majority in the assembly and eliminating the need for additional backing from pre-poll allies, including the Congress.
The NC had contested 51 seats, giving 32 to Congress under a seat-sharing arrangement. However, the Congress managed to secure only six seats, while the CPI(M) won the single seat it contested. The BJP emerged as the second-largest party, winning 29 seats, while Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) could only manage six seats.
This election marks a crucial turning point for Jammu and Kashmir, which held its first assembly elections in a decade after the region’s special status was revoked in 2019, transforming it into a Union Territory. Polling took place in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with vote counting concluding earlier this week.
With the NC securing majority support, Omar Abdullah is poised to take the reins of the newly formed government, a significant political development in the post-2019 era of Jammu and Kashmir.