Srinagar, Oct 06 (JKNS): The Election Commission of India (ECI) has formally started the nomination process for four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir by issuing three separate notifications on Monday.
The move follows the President’s notification summoning the elected members of the J&K Legislative Assembly to elect representatives to the Upper House of Parliament.
According to the notifications accessed by news agency JKNS, October 13, 2025, has been set as the deadline for submission of nomination papers. The scrutiny will be conducted on October 14, while candidates may withdraw their nominations until October 16.
If required, polling will be held on October 24, 2025, and the votes will be counted the same day, the ECI has said.
The Commission has outlined that three separate electoral processes will take place to fill the four vacancies—two individual polls for the first two seats, and a combined contest for the remaining pair.
There are seven independent legislators in the Assembly who did not contest on the ticket of any recognised or registered party and are not obligated to reveal their vote to polling agents.
Importantly, the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution—commonly referred to as the anti-defection law—does not apply to Rajya Sabha elections, which means political parties cannot issue binding whips to their members for the vote. (JKNS)