THREE SEPARATE ELECTIONS FOR 4 SEATS

By Anshika Khera

The long-awaited Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir were announced by the Election commission of India, nearly four years after four seats in the upper house fell vacant . Polling will take place on October 24, 2025, to fill the vacancies that have been open since February 2021.

According to ECI , the four vacancies will be filled through three separate elections, as required by law. There will be three elections because the seats were originally part of three different biennial cycles. Two members retired on February 15, 2021, while two others retired earlier on February 10, 2021. The Commission referred to a precedent set by the Delhi High Court in AK Walia vs Union of India (1994). The court decided that separate elections must be held when vacancies fall under different categories. The ruling stated, “Once the seats have been divided into the three categories from the inception, the Respondents were right in holding separate elections for each category.” 

The tenure of newly elected members will be decided based on the outcome of a pending case before the Supreme Court , as noted by ECI. To ensure a fair election, the ECI has instructed that only violet sketch pens with specific features, provided by the Returning Officer, may be used to mark preferences on the ballot paper. Sufficient observers will be sent to monitor the election and ensure a fair process. This announcement is seen practically important in Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, the Commission has also announced a by-election for a Rajya Sabha seat from Punjab. This seat became vacant after AAP MP Sanjeev Arora resigned to join the state cabinet.