Srinagar: The political temperature in Jammu and Kashmir is rising as parties prepare for the Rajya Sabha elections on October 24 and assembly bypolls in Budgam and Nagrota on November 11. The coming weeks are expected to be a test of strength for regional and national players alike.

The ruling National Conference (NC) has fielded candidates for all four Rajya Sabha seats and is poised to win three, analysts say. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to bag the fourth seat.

Currently, the NC has 41 MLAs in the 90-member J&K assembly, while BJP holds 28 seats. This numerical strength underlines NC’s dominance in the Valley and explains why it is strongly positioned to secure three of the four Rajya Sabha seats.

The Budgam and Nagrota assembly bypolls, slated for November 11, have ye

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