New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced the schedule for biennial elections to four vacant seats of the Rajya Sabha from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The terms of Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Shamsher Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Nazir Ahmad Laway had expired in February 2021. Since then, the seats have remained vacant due to the absence of a legislative assembly in Jammu and Kashmir at the time of their retirement.
With the constitution of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, the required electorate is now available to conduct the elections. The Commission clarified that the four vacancies will be filled through three separate elections, as each vacancy belongs to a different election cycle.
According to the schedule issued by the ECI, the notification for the elections will be released on October 6, 2025. The last date for filing nominations is October 13, while scrutiny will be held on October 14. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 16. Polling will take place on October 24 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and counting of votes will be conducted the same day at 5:00 pm. The election process is to be completed by October 28.
The ECI referred to a 1994 Delhi High Court judgment which upheld the conduct of separate elections when vacancies fall under different categories, dismissing the argument that all vacancies should be filled in a single election.
It further stated that the tenure of the members elected from Jammu and Kashmir would remain subject to the outcome of a case pending before the Supreme Court in Election Commission of India vs. Devesh Chandra Thakur & Others.
The Commission also directed that only integrated violet sketch pens, provided by the Returning Officer, shall be used to mark preferences on ballot papers. It added that adequate monitoring measures, including the appointment of observers, will be in place to ensure free and fair elections.(KNS).
