Law Ministry notifies vacancies of 4 Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir

The Government on Monday notified vacancies of four Rajya Sabha seats from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that fell vacant in February 2021 on the retirement of Ghulam Nabi Azad and three others.

The Union Ministry of Law and Justice urged the members of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly to elect four members of Rajya Sabha from the Union Territory.

“In pursuance of Section 10 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951(43 of 1951), the president is pleased to call upon the elected members of the Legislative Assembly off the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to elect, in accordance with the provisions of the said Act and of the rules and orders made thereunder, one member for the purpose of filling the seat which has fallen vacant on 15^th February, 2021 on the retirement of Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad and Shri Nazir. Ahmed Laway, members of the Council of States, on the expiration of their term of office,’ a notification issued by the Legislative Department of the Union Ministry of Law and Justice read.

Two other separate but identical notifications have been issued with regard to the vacancies created by the retirement of Rajya Sabha members Mir Mohammad Fayaz and Shamsher Singh who retired on February 10, 2021.

Since there was no Assembly in place in Jammu and Kashmir when the vacancies occurred, the elections for the four seats could not take place.

Opposition parties have been demanding elections to the four Rajya Sabha seats after the Assembly was constituted last year.

Last month, the Election Commission had said that the elections for the four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir would be held on October 24.