Sajad Gani Lone on Wednesday strongly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party, National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party, accusing them of colluding in what he described as “match fixing” during Rajya Sabha elections.
The Handwara MLA said recent revelations and past events raised serious questions about how the elections were handled. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Lone Recalls 2015 Rajya Sabha Vote
Referring to his own experience during the 2015 Rajya Sabha election, Lone said he had cast his vote even though his party had not fielded any candidate.
He claimed that the ruling alliance at the time requested his party to appoint an agent of their choice.
According to Lone, the person appointed was not an MLA and went on to verify his vote as well as that of fellow MLA Advocate Bashir Ahmed Dar.
Questions Over Election Rules
Lone said it was difficult to believe that the NC or PDP were unaware of the rules governing polling agents in Rajya Sabha elections.
He argued that appointing agents is one of the most important procedural steps in such elections and said the rules were clear.
According to Lone, a party can appoint an agent whether or not it fields a candidate, unless it chooses not to do so.
Claims of Wider Collusion
The Peoples Conference leader alleged that the National Conference did not insist on appointing agents, while the PDP did not appoint agents at all.
He said this suggested a much wider pattern of political understanding among parties.
Lone further claimed that information obtained through an RTI filed by journalist Umer pointed towards involvement of at least three parties — BJP, NC and PDP.
He also alleged that the BJP could not have secured the Rajya Sabha seat without active support from the NC and PDP.
Sharp Message to Political Parties
Ending his remarks, Lone said ordinary people were the real losers in such political dealings.
He said the people of Kashmir deserved better and added that the political joke was being played on them.
Political Significance
The allegations are likely to trigger fresh debate in Jammu & Kashmir politics, especially around past alliances, cross-party voting and trust in democratic institutions.
Neither the BJP, NC nor PDP immediately responded publicly to the claims at the time of reporting.
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