Srinagar, Sep 24 (KNO): The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced the schedule for elections to four Rajya Sabha seats from the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
According to a notification issued by the poll -body, a copy of which is in possession of news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Commission will issue the notification for these seats on October 6.
As per the schedule, the last date for filing nominations is October 13, while scrutiny of nominations will take place on October 14. The last date for withdrawal of candidatures is October 16.
Voting will be held on October 24 between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM, the notification states. Counting of votes will take place on the same day at 5:00 PM.
The four Rajya Sabha seats-previously held by Mir Muhammad Fayaz, Shamsher Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Nazir Ahmed Laway-have remained vacant since their retirement in February 2021.
The poll body attributed the delay in holding elections to the non-availability of the required electorate at the time the vacancies occurred.
Elected MLAs constitute the electorate for these elections. Nominated MLAs are not eligible to participate in Rajya Sabha polls.
The Commission stated that these seats will be filled through three separate elections-one each for two seats and a combined election for the two seats that became vacant simultaneously.
As per the notification, the tenure of the newly elected members will be subject to the outcome of a pending Supreme Court case-SLP (C) No. 17123/2015 (Election Commission of India vs. Devesh Chandra Thakur & Others)—(KNO)