J&K to remain without representation in Rajya Sabha from Feb

Jammu and Kashmir will remain without representation in the Rajya Sabha from next month as the term of all the four incumbent MPs is coming to an end and in the absence of the Legislative Assembly, new elections can’t be held.

“The electoral college for four Rajya Sabha seats comprises MLAs of J&K Assembly. Since Assembly elections have not been held since the House was dissolved in November 2018, these four seats would remain vacant and can be filled only after Assembly elections,” an official told DH.

All the outgoing four Rajya Sabha MPs from J&K – Ghulam Nabi Azad, Fayaz Ahmad Mir, Nazir Ahmad Laway and Shamsher Singh Manhas - would complete their six-year term next month.

Azad of the Congress party, is the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha while Manhas is from the BJP and Mir from the PDP. Laway, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha on the PDP ticket was expelled by the party last year.

Mir, Singh and Laway were elected as members of the House weeks before the PDP-BJP entered into an alliance to govern the erstwhile state of J&K in 2015. Azad managed to win after getting support from the regional National Conference and some independent MLAs.

After the Centre revoked J&K’s special status under Article 370 in August 2019 and reorganized it into two union territories, the remaining term of the four Rajya Sabha members was protected by “The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act-2019”.

According to amendments made in The Representation of Peoples Act-1951 in March last year, the electoral college for Rajya Sabha seats of J&K comprises its MLAs. It is worthwhile to mention that J&K UT Assembly will have 90 MLAs after the delimitation process is complete.