Overview

• Peoples Conference chief Sajad Gani Lone said he will not vote for National Conference candidates on any of the four Jammu and Kashmir seats and will abstain.
• As the PC’s only MLA, his absence from the tally is portrayed in reporting as improving BJP nominee Sat Sharma’s prospects for the contestable fourth seat.
• The National Conference has fielded candidates for all four seats and the BJP has nominated three, centering the battle on the final seat.
• Given Assembly strengths—about 53 for the NC-led bloc versus roughly 28 for the BJP—three NC wins are widely expected, while Sharma would still need three more non-BJP MLAs to abstain or cross-vote.
• Lone alleged that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah denied Congress a safe nomination at the BJP’s direction, a claim reported as his allegation, and Congress’s final voting stance was not detailed.