The Election Commission has announced the schedule for the biennial elections to eight Rajya Sabha seats and by-elections to five assembly constituencies across various states. However, there is still no mention of the much-awaited polls in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
By-elections for two assembly seats and elections for four Rajya Sabha seats are long overdue in Jammu and Kashmir. All four Rajya Sabha seats allocated to the Union Territory have remained vacant for an extended period, and the deadline for holding by-elections to the two assembly seats expired in April this year.
On Monday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the biennial elections to eight Rajya Sabha seats. Earlier, on Saturday, the ECI had released the schedule for by-elections to five assembly constituencies.
The Budgam Assembly constituency in central Kashmir and the Nagrota Assembly segment in Jammu district fell vacant in October and November 2024, respectively.
The Budgam seat became vacant after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had won both Budgam and Ganderbal constituencies, chose to retain Ganderbal.
Nagrota was vacated following the untimely death of BJP stalwart Devender Singh Rana, who had won from the seat.
Budgam officially fell vacant on October 21, 2024, after National Conference leader Omar Abdullah vacated the seat to retain Ganderbal. He had won Budgam by defeating PDP's young candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi by a margin of 18,485 votes. Being the Abdullah family bastion, Omar chose to retain Ganderbal, which he had won by 10,574 votes against PDP candidate Bashir Mir.
The Nagrota seat became vacant due to the death of BJP legislator Devender Singh Rana. Before taking the oath as an MLA, Rana, 59, passed away on November 1, 2024, following an illness. He had defeated his closest rival, NC candidate Joginder Singh, by a margin of 30,472 votes. His daughter, Devyani Rana, has since been active in the constituency and is expected to contest the by-election on a BJP ticket.
As for the Rajya Sabha elections, the four seats in the Upper House of Parliament allotted to Jammu and Kashmir have been vacant since February 2021. The terms of the four former Rajya Sabha members—Ghulam Nabi Azad, Shamsher Singh Manhas, Nazir Ahmad Laway, and Fayaz Ahmad Mir—expired in February 2021.
Typically, Rajya Sabha elections are conducted by the Election Commission of India based on the strength of elected members in the legislative assembly.
According to the current numbers in the Assembly, the NC-Congress coalition, along with some Independents and two MLAs from the CPM and Aam Aadmi Party, has enough strength to easily win two Rajya Sabha seats. Similarly, the BJP can easily secure one seat. With surplus votes remaining after winning one seat, the BJP's central leadership is expected to push for a second Rajya Sabha seat.
In the Assembly elections held after a decade in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference won 42 seats, Congress six, BJP 29, PDP three, and one seat each was won by the People's Conference, CPI-M, and AAP. Additionally, seven independents emerged victorious.
NC, PDP question delay in Rajya Sabha, by-elections
The ruling National Conference and the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party have questioned the Union Government and the Election Commission for delaying the Rajya Sabha elections and by-elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Chief spokesperson of the National Conference Tanveer Saqid said, "today marks the seventh month since four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir became vacant. This is perhaps the only Union Territory without any representation in the Rajya Sabha."
The NC spokesman questioned why the Rajya Sabha elections and the by-elections for the Nagrota and Budgam Assembly constituencies have not been announced, even as the Election Commission recently issued notifications for several by-elections across other states of the country.
The PDP also has voiced strong concerns over the Election Commission of India's (ECI) delay in announcing by-elections for vacant assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir, even as the ECI has moved forward with by-election schedules in several other states.
Dr. Mehboob Beg, chief spokesperson of the PDP, emphasized the need for timely democratic processes in the Union Territory, highlighting the prolonged delay as a matter of serious concern for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr. Beg criticized the ECI's apparent inaction, stating, "The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been patiently awaiting the restoration of their democratic rights. While the Election Commission has promptly announced by-elections in states like Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Punjab, the silence on Jammu and Kashmir raises troubling questions. This delay undermines the democratic aspirations of our people and risks further alienating them from the electoral process."
