ECI Announces Rajya Sabha Biennial Elections in Jammu and Kashmir on October 24

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that biennial elections will be held on October 24 to fill four vacant Rajya Sabha seats from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The polling is being conducted to replace four members whose terms expired, leaving the region unrepresented in the Upper House of Parliament since 2021. 

Rajya Sabha Polls Schedule for Jammu and Kashmir:

The previous Rajya Sabha members from the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, including Ghulam Nabi Azad and others, completed their terms in early 2021. This marks a significant step toward restoring full representation for the Union Territory in Parliament. The ECI's decision follows a recent assembly election in the region, providing the newly formed government with the opportunity to elect its representatives to the Council of States. 

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified that it will hold three separate biennial elections to fill the four vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir.

This decision is in line with a 1994 ruling by the Delhi High Court in the case of A.K. Walia vs. Union of India and Others. In that case, the Indian National Congress argued for a common election for three vacancies, but the court dismissed the plea. The High Court's judgment stated that since the seats were originally divided into different categories, the elections for them must also be separate.