Five BJP members will be nominated as MLAs by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the party’s J&K unit vice president has said, underscoring, “It is our government at the Centre, so our names will go”. In an interview with Greater Kashmir, Sofi Yousuf has also named the members, claiming that they are the ones who would be nominated. Asked whether it is official, he said, “thappa lag giya (it has been sealed)”.

The candidates, he claimed, were BJP state secretary Ashok Koul, former BJP women’s wing state president Rajni Sethi, state secretary Dr Fareeda Khan and party spokesperson Sunil Sethi. “The fifth one is a refugee, the president of our Mahila Morcha. All of them are ours,” Sofi Yusuf told Greater Kashmir in a video interview.

The BJP, he added, will form government on its own. “We don’t need the National Conference, PDP (Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party) or the Congress. The BJP will form government on its own steam,” he added.

As for numbers, he said most of the Independent candidates as well as the smaller parties in the contest are with the BJP. 

The possibility of nomination of five members by the Lieutenant Governor after the election results are declared has sparked massive controversy in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of tomorrow’s counting of votes. 

The Congress, its ally National Conference and PDP have contended that providing such powers to the Lieutenant Governor is a subversion of the people’s mandate, since it will be used to benefit the BJP. Their voice has been strengthened by the exit polls, which while predicting a fractured mandate, has maintained that the Congress-National Conference alliance is ahead in the race.

In 2022, after the Delimitation Commission increased the number of seats in the Union Territory, a fresh rule had granted the LG powers to nominate five members – two women, two Kashmiri Pandits and a displaced person from the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) – to the assembly, thus increasing the total number of seats to 95 and the majority mark to 48, up from 46.  

Reports said the Lieutenant Governor would act on recommendations from the Union Home Ministry. There is a buzz that earlier today, a meeting was held by representatives of the BJP and is ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to finalise the names. 

The three main-non-BJP parties have said if the nomination happens, they would challenge it in the Supreme Court.