SRINAGAR: The nomination process for four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu & Kashmir commenced on Monday, following the issuance of three separate notifications by the Election Commission of India (ECI), which outlined the schedule for the elections. The notifications came after the President of India directed the elected members of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly to elect representatives to the Upper House of Parliament.
As per the ECI notifications, the last date for filing nominations is October 13, 2025, with scrutiny scheduled for October 14. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until October 16. If polling is required, it will be held on October 24, 2025, with counting taking place on the same day.
Three separate elections will be held to fill the four seats. Two individual elections will be conducted for the first and second seats, while the remaining two seats will be contested through a combined election.
The National Conference-Congress alliance is expected to secure three of the seats comfortably, while the BJP is poised to win the fourth. The BJP’s strong position is supported by the arithmetic in the Assembly, which includes seven independent members who were not elected on any party ticket and are not obliged to reveal their votes to polling agents.
It is important to note that the provisions of the Tenth Schedule, including the anti-defection law, do not apply to Rajya Sabha elections. As a result, political parties cannot issue a whip to their members for these elections.
