NC sweeps Rajya Sabha Polls in JK, Bags Three out of Four Seats
BJP’s Sat Sharma secures lone win as NC’s Choudhary Ramzan, Sajad Kitchloo and Shami Oberoi make it to Upper House
Srinagar: In a major political triumph, the National Conference (NC) on Thursday swept the Rajya Sabha elections from Jammu and Kashmir, clinching three of the four seats at stake, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to retain one.
From the NC, Choudhary Ramzan, Sajad Kitchloo, and Shami Oberoi emerged victorious, reaffirming the party’s dominance in the Union Territory’s political landscape. The BJP’s Sat Sharma, state party chief and senior leader from Jammu, bagged the remaining seat.
The results marked a decisive moment in J&K’s post-reorganisation politics — the first Rajya Sabha election since 2019 — signalling the NC’s strong organisational base and renewed connect with legislators and people alike.
“This victory is not just for our party but for the people of Jammu and Kashmir who continue to place their faith in democratic values,” said NC president Omar Abdullah, congratulating the winning candidates.
“The mandate reflects our collective voice for restoration of statehood, dignity, and political empowerment,” he said.
Visibly elated, Choudhary Ramzan, a veteran leader from North Kashmir, said the victory “belongs to every worker who stood by the party through thick and thin.”
“NC has once again proved that it remains the pulse of J&K’s political conscience,” he added.
Sajad Kitchloo, the young and dynamic face of Chenab Valley politics, dedicated his win to “the people who aspire for progress, peace, and development.”
He said the NC would “take the issues of youth, employment, and equitable growth to the national stage.”
Shami Oberoi, a seasoned political strategist and long-time NC loyalist, described his victory as “a reflection of the party’s unity and the people’s trust in our agenda of inclusive development.” He added, “We will work to ensure J&K’s voice is heard where it matters most.”
From the BJP camp, Sat Sharma thanked his party leadership and cadre for their “unwavering support,” saying he would “continue to voice the aspirations of the people of Jammu region at the national level.”
Political observers say the outcome underscores the NC’s resurgence amid shifting regional dynamics.
“The results demonstrate the NC’s ability to consolidate its position even in a changed political environment,” said a political analyst, adding that “the BJP’s single-seat win ensures it retains a voice but signals it faces an uphill task in the Valley.”
Soon after the announcement, celebrations broke out outside the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, with jubilant NC supporters waving party flags, distributing sweets, and raising slogans in support of their leaders. BJP workers, too, held modest celebrations in Jammu, congratulating Sat Sharma on his victory.
With this win, the NC has strengthened its presence in the Upper House, giving it greater leverage to articulate J&K’s concerns on key national issues.
The Winners
1. Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan (National Conference)
The 75-year-old leader is a four-time ex-MLA and a former minister, who was first elected to the legislative assembly in 1983 from Handwara in Kupwara district of north Kashmir.
He retained the seat in the 1987 and 1996 elections. After losing in the 2002 polls, Ramzan returned to the assembly in 2008. However, he lost to Sajad Gani Lone in the 2014 and 2024 assembly elections.
Ramzan was a minister in the Farooq Abdullah government in 1996.
2. Sajad Ahmad Kitchloo (National Conference)
Kitchloo (60) comes from an influential political family from the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. His father, Bashir Ahmad Kitchloo, was an important leader of the party and held key portfolios in the Farooq Abdullah Government in the 1980s and in 1996.
The senior Kitchloo died in 2001 when he was the social welfare minister. Sajad jumped into electoral politics and won the Kishtwar seat in the 2002 polls. He retained the seat in the 2008 elections.
However, Sajad Ahmad Kitchloo lost the assembly polls in 2014 and 2024. He was elected as an MLC in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council in 2015.
3. Gurwinder Singh Oberoi (National Conference)
The 56-year-old is the first Sikh MP from Jammu and Kashmir. Also known as Shammi Oberoi, he is a businessman and holds a diploma in hotel management.
Currently, the National Conference’s treasurer, Oberoi, is the son of late party leader and MLC Dharamveer Singh Oberoi. His father was also the chief polling agent of Omar Abdullah during his Parliamentary election in 1999.
Shammi Oberoi rose to prominence in the NC after Devender Singh Rana left the party in October 2021. He played a key role in securing the support of the PDP and the Congress for the Rajya Sabha polls.
He is considered a key aide of both party president Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and was appointed party treasurer in March 2017.
4. Sat Sharma (BJP)
The president of the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit, 64-year-old Sharma, is a chartered accountant by profession. He was appointed the BJP’s J-K chief after last year’s assembly elections in the Union Territory.
This is his second stint as the head of J-K BJP. He had headed the BJP here from 2015 to 2018.
Sharma was a minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government for two months. He won the 2014 assembly election from the Jammu West Assembly constituency on a BJP ticket.
He, however, lost the 2024 assembly elections despite his party winning 29 seats.
