Srinagar, Oct 25: In a political upset, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Satpal Sharma clinched the fourth Rajya Sabha seat from J&K, defeating the National Conference (NC)-Congress-People’s Democratic Party (PDP) alliance that had a clear numerical advantage on paper.

Sharma’s victory, with 31 votes, came despite the BJP having only 28 MLAs in the 90-member J&K Assembly, an outcome that has sent shockwaves through the opposition ranks and redrawn perceptions of power arithmetic in the region’s politics.

Going into the polls, the NC-led bloc appeared confident of sweeping all four Upper House seats.

With NC’s 41 MLAs, Congress’s six, PDP’s three, and a handful of independents, the alliance’s strength comfortably exceeded the BJP’s 28.

However, when votes were counted, Sharma emerged

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