The National Conference (NC) on Friday (October 10, 2025) announced the names of three candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). The party has dropped the name of Farooq Abdullah due to “health reasons”. It has also kept one candidate undecided as talks with its coalition partner Congress are on.

“We have finalised the three candidates, Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Shammi Oberoi and Sajad Kichloo, for the Rajya Sabha seats. Talks are on for the fourth seat,” said Nasir Aslam Wani, senior NC leader. 

Mr. Abdullah, elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1980 at the age of 43, has been the party’s longest-serving parliamentarian in both the Houses from 2002 to 2014. A senior NC leader said Mr. Abdullah “opted out due to health reasons”. 

Mr. Ramzan, a senior party loyalist and a former Minister, lost the 2024 Assembly elections to J&K Peoples Conference’s chief Sajad Lone. Mr. Kichloo’s nomination is a bid by the party to strengthen its base in the Chenab Valley, comprising Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah districts. Mr. Oberoi, who is from the minority Sikh community, is considered as a close confidante of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

The NC-Congress alliance is yet to decide on the fourth seat in J&K. “It has been deliberately kept open. Discussions are on with the Congress,” NC general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar said.

In the 90-member Assembly, the NC has 41 members and has the support of six Independents. The Congress has six members, and the People Democratic Party has three. The BJP has 27 seats in the Assembly and will need numbers to win two seats in J&K.

Two seats fell vacant in the J&K Assembly after Omar Abdullah vacated from the Budgam constituency and retained the Ganderbal seat after the election, and the death of Nagrota MLA Devender Singh Rana last year.