Omar Abdullah calls out cross-voters, ‘destruction of votes’ in J&K Rajya Sabha election

The mystery of the cross-voting legislators, who “deliberately” invalidated votes during the recently concluded Rajya Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir, deepened on Monday (October 27, 2025).

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he wanted to know the names of the legislators who had voted in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “There were people who sold their conscience. They are answerable to Allah and Bhagwan. I wish their names would come forward,” Mr. Abdullah said.

The ruling National Conference (NC) on October 24 won three Rajya Sabha seats, and lost one seat to the BJP despite having the numbers. The BJP, with just 28 votes in the J&K Assembly, managed to secure 34 votes in the fourth round of voting for the Rajya Sabha seats. 

“One Independent MLA admitted to me that he cast his vote wrongly in the third round. However, for the fourth seat, four votes were cast in favour of the BJP, and three were deliberately destroyed. It is evident the BJP attempted to lure people. Induced or anything [else], only the BJP can answer,” Mr. Abdullah said.

The election of members to the Rajya Sabha in the 88-member J&K Assembly saw the BJP pitted against the ruling alliance, with all local Opposition parties coming together. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also extended their support to the NC-Congress alliance, which had 47 members. 

In the first round, the NC candidate managed 58 votes. J&K Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone decided to abstain.   

“We decided to fight for the fourth seat. However, from day one, it became difficult when the Handwara MLA (Mr. Lone) decided to stay away,” Mr. Abdullah said.

The issue of cross-voting gripped the J&K Assembly on Monday as ruling alliance members raised slogans of ‘Vote chori’ (stealing). “Sarei raaz khol dunga (I will reveal all the secrets),” J&K Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said. However, Mr. Choudhary, too, did not name any individual or party on the question of cross-voting. 

Meanwhile, BJP leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the J&K Assembly said he did not know who had voted for his party. “The day I come to know, I will visit them and thank them. We have reached out to all parties and individuals for support,” Mr. Sharma said.

The NC is unable to identify the cross-voters. The party says the voting agent cross-checked and found all the NC votes were intact.

The Congress and the PDP also claimed they had voted for the alliance. However, independents or single-member parties had no polling agent to validate their voting pattern.