 Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 7: It was expected that the Election Commission of India would announce the dates of the bye-elections of Nagrota and Budgam Assembly segments along with the schedule of the Delhi Assembly polls, but there was no mention of these two seats of Jammu and Kashmir.
The ECI on Tuesday announced that it would hold bye-elections in Jammu & Kashmir later due to snowy conditions. The ECI stated that they still have time to conduct the elections.
While announcing dates for the Assembly elections of Delhi, the Election Commission of India also announced bye-elections to two Assembly Constituencies namely Milkipur in Uttar Pradesh and Erode in Tamilnadu.
Addressing a news conference, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that they are not announcing the schedule for bye-polls in Budgam and Nagrota today due to the snowy conditions in the region. The CEC mentioned that they have until April 20 to hold the electoral exercise.
Budgam assembly seats fell vacant after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah preferred to retain the Ganderbal assembly seat. Omar Abdullah won from both Budgam and Ganderbal assembly seats.
Nagrota Assembly fell vacant following the death of BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana.
Like two Assembly seats, there is uncertainty over the elections of four Rajya Sabha seats of Jammu and Kashmir.
Results of the 90 Assembly seats of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly were announced on Oc The ECI announced that it would hold bye-polls on J&K Assembly seats later due to snowy conditions.
Two assembly seats Budgam and Nagrota are vacant.
Like two Assembly seats, there is uncertainty over the elections of four Rajya Sabha seats.
In November last year the ECI had announced by-polls for six Rajya Sabha but there was no mention of J&K.
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 where four seats of the Upper House have been lying vacant after the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly of the erstwhile state.
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. | 