Elections For Four J&K Rajya Sabha Seats To Be Held On 24 October: EC

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that the Rajya Sabha elections for four seats in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on 24 October, marking the first such polls since the seats fell vacant over four years ago, Indian Express reported.

Alongside, a by-election for one Rajya Sabha seat in Punjab, vacated on 1 July following the resignation of AAP MP Sanjeev Arora, will also take place on 24 October.

Voting is scheduled between 9 am and 4 pm, with counting to start at 5 pm.

The vacancies in Jammu and Kashmir arose in February 2021 when the terms of MPs Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Shamsher Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Nazir Ahmed Laway ended.

Elections were not conducted then, as the Union Territory was under President’s Rule and lacked a functioning Assembly.

The present Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir came into existence in November 2024, following the first elections held for the Union Territory created in 2019.

In its statement, the EC said, "All four above mentioned seats are lying vacant since the expiration of term of office of sitting members due to non-availability of required electorate to conduct the said elections at the time of occurrence of said vacancies".

"Consequent upon the constitution of the State Legislative Assembly of UT of Jammu & Kashmir, there is required electorate to conduct the Biennial Elections to the Council of States from UT of Jammu & Kashmir," the poll panel added.

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