Mallya

Srinagar, Jan. 19: After the froth over beer, Vijay Mallya has hopped into another controversy.

Sources in Kashmir’s ruling National Conference said the liquor baron might contest one of the state’s four Rajya Sabha seats either as a party-backed Independent or as an official candidate.

If the party does nominate Mallya, he will be the first non-state subject from Jammu and Kashmir to contest a seat in Parliament’s upper House. Though “textually permissible”, as a constitutional expert put it, Opposition and separatist groups are sure to seize on the move to slam the new government.

Sources in the rival PDP said they viewed the development as a “God-sent opportunity”.

National Conference sources said Farooq Abdullah was in favour of nominating Mallya, an old friend who put the party in an awkward position last week by saying he proposed to restart cultivating hop, a crucial ingredient used for making beer.

Farooq claimed there had been no discussions on supporting Mallya. “I myself do not know who our candidate will be. We have neither met nor decided how many seats we should contest,” he said.

The party sources said son Omar, the new chief minister who had nipped Mallya’s hop plans in the bud, had serious reservations about fielding the industrialist.

Lawyer Zaffar Shah said if Mallya got a ticket, the decision would be “against the spirit of our Constitution, politically unwise, though textually permissible”.

“You have West Pakistan refugees in Jammu and Kashmir, who are non-state subjects, voting in parliamentary elections though they are barred from participating in Assembly elections. They can both vote and contest the parliamentary elections,” Shah said.

High court bar association chief Mian Qayoom said no non-state subject could contest elections from the state. “This would erode the special status enjoyed by Kashmir under Article 370,” he said and warned of an agitation if Mallya was nominated.

PDP sources said the leadership had told office-bearers “not to pre-empt the move”.