Social activist Raja Shakeel slams cross-voting in Jammu Kashmir Rajya Sabha polls, calling it a dark day for ethics.
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| Raja Shakeel |
Social activist Raja Shakeel has condemned the cross-voting by four MLAs in favor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the recent Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, describing it as a “betrayal of democracy” and a “dark day for political ethics,” as reported by Tahir Rihat.
On October 24, 2025, in Doda, prominent activist Raja Shakeel issued a statement criticizing the unexpected defections that enabled the BJP to secure one of the four Rajya Sabha seats. The elections, conducted through proportional representation by the 90-member Legislative Assembly, saw the National Conference (NC) win three seats while BJP’s Sat Paul Sharma clinched the fourth with 32 votes—four more than the party’s 28 MLAs. 0 Shakeel accused the defecting legislators of hypocrisy, noting their prior public opposition to the BJP. “Those who used to preach about saving democracy have themselves betrayed it,” he said, according to details compiled by Tahir Rihat.
Voting took place on October 24 at the J&K Legislative Assembly in Srinagar, with all 86 participating MLAs casting ballots, including incarcerated AAP MLA Mehraj Malik via postal vote. 6 The NC-led alliance, comprising 41 NC members, six from Congress, three from PDP, and others, anticipated a sweep but faced setbacks from the cross-votes. 1 BJP’s victory restores its representation in the Upper House from the region after a four-year gap following retirements in 2021. 3 Political observers attribute the outcome to lapses in coalition discipline rather than outright defections.
Shakeel characterized the cross-votes as “backdoor deals” that insult the people’s mandate and undermine trust in institutions. He demanded public disclosure of the defectors’ identities and urged the Election Commission of India to enforce stricter voting norms. “The names of those who cross-voted must be made public to uphold transparency and restore people’s faith in democracy,” he added. His remarks echo concerns raised by NC leader Omar Abdullah, who questioned the source of BJP’s extra votes on social media, insisting no cross-voting occurred from NC ranks.
The episode highlights the fragility of alliances in Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape, operating under a caretaker assembly since the 2019 abrogation of Article 370. People’s Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone, who abstained from voting, labeled the results a “fixed match,” calling for scrutiny of rejected ballots and cross-votes. 5 The BJP’s foothold in the Rajya Sabha could influence national debates on the region’s integration and special status. Based on verified sources reviewed by Tahir Rihat, such instances of floor-crossing have precedents in J&K, but they intensify scrutiny amid the Union Territory’s transitional governance.
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