 Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 15: The fate of four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir remains uncertain as no election schedule has been announced by the Election Commission of India even after the passing of over two months after the completion of the Assembly elections in the Union Territory.
Results of the 90 Assembly seats of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly were announced on October 8 and it was expected that Rajya Sabha elections for the four seats of J&K would be announced with other polling for other Rajya Sabha seats.
Hoping to get a berth in the Upper House of the Parliament, some senior politicians of the ruling National Conference and opposition BJP are anxiously waiting for the announcement of the schedule for the Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Even some leaders of the Congress party, which has only six members in the Assembly, are also hoping to get a Rajya Sabha seat with the support of the coalition partner National Conference.
On November 26 the Election Commission of India had announced by-polls for the six seats in the Rajya Sabha but there was no mention of Jammu and Kashmir Hoping to get a berth in the Rajya Sabha, some senior politicians of the ruling NC and opposition BJP are anxiously waiting for the announcement of the poll schedule.
Even some leaders of the Congress party, which has only six members in the Assembly, are also hoping to get a Rajya Sabha seat with NC's support.
Last month the ECI had announced by-polls for the six seats in the Rajya Sabha but there was no mention of J&K where four RS seats are vacant.
Rajya Sabha elections are conducted by the ECI based on the strength of elected representatives in the Legislative Assembly.
The four Rajya Sabha seats allotted to Jammu and Kashmir have been vacant since February 2021, following the expiration of the terms of the previous members, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Shamsher Singh Manhas, Nazir Ahmad Laway and Fayaz Ahmad Mir.
Typically, Rajya Sabha elections are conducted by the Election Commission of India based on the strength of elected representatives in the legislative assembly.
As per numbers in the present Assembly, the NC-Congress coalition comprising some Independents and two MLAs of CPM and Aam Aadmi Party has the strength to easily win two Rajya Sabha seats. Similarly, the BJP can easily win one Rajya Sabha seat but the party has surplus votes after winning one seat so the central leadership of the BJP would try to win another seat.
In the Assembly polls held after a decade in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference won 42 seats, Congress six, BJP 29, PDP three and one each by the People's Conference, CPI-M, and AAP. Seven independents also emerged victorious. | 