In a significant disclosure, jailed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mehraj Malik confirmed Saturday that he cast his vote for National Conference (NC) candidates during the recent Rajya Sabha elections. Malik, currently held in Kathua jail, stated his decision was made in the “larger interest” of Jammu and Kashmir, dispelling speculation that he had supported BJP candidates.
Malik, who serves as the president of the AAP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit, was detained on September 8 under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA).
Despite receiving no direct outreach or request for support from the NC while in custody, Malik expressed his dismay at being questioned by some of their leaders. He condemned this as “the absolute height of shamelessness,” emphasizing his belief that the National Conference lacked genuine commitment to securing the fourth Rajya Sabha seat. “They neither approached me nor showed any intent to build consensus,” Malik asserted in a statement, which his party later shared on social media after a prison visit. He concluded, “Still, keeping the larger interests of Jammu and Kashmir in mind, I chose to vote for them believing my vote could make a difference.”
The Rajya Sabha elections, the first since Jammu and Kashmir’s transition into a Union Territory in August 2019, saw the ruling NC secure three seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win one seat on Friday, October 24.
Specifically, Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Sat Sharma emerged victorious in one contest, securing 32 votes against NC candidate Imran Nabi Dar’s 22. In the same notification, NC’s Gurwinder Singh Oberoi was also elected with 31 votes. Two additional NC members clinched victories in seats decided under separate notifications.
Malik further revealed his disappointment, stating, “Unfortunately, now I realized that some among them were already compromised and had decided to side with the BJP. Today, their actions and statements only expose their hypocrisy and double standards.”
He directly accused certain politicians of presenting themselves as “anti-BJP” while simultaneously “proving their friendship with Sat Sharma,” the BJP chief.
The AAP leader also criticized the NC’s strategy of fielding a Muslim candidate in the upcoming Nagrota Assembly by-election on November 11. Malik argued that this move inadvertently “helps” the BJP solidify its base, exposing the ruling party’s “true loyalties.”
Malik concluded his statement with a powerful message: “The people of Jammu and Kashmir can now see through this political drama. History will remember who truly stood firm and who surrendered for personal gains.”