Mehboob Beg, chief spokesperson of the PDP. File photo.
| Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad
The ruling National Conference (NC) and the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday (May 26, 2025) asked the Centre and the Election Commission (EC) to explain the reasons behind not holding elections for the Rajya Sabha seats and two vacant Assembly constituencies in J&K.
“By-elections are being held across India. Why is Jammu and Kashmir being ignored? The delay is discriminatory. The Centre and the ECI need to explain it,” NC leader and MLA Tanvir Sadiq said.
The NC’s statement came a day after the EC announced by-elections for Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal. However, the commission did not announce the by-elections for the Assembly constituencies of Budgam and Nagrota.
The Budgam seat fell vacant after NC president Omar Abdullah vacated the seat following his win from two seats in the Assembly elections last year, and the Nagrota seat fell vacant after BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana died in October last year.
Urging the EC and the Centre to come up with a statement over the delay, Mr. Sadiq said, “It has been over six months since the Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant, yet no polls have been held. People of Jammu and Kashmir are being denied their right to representation in Parliament. The Election Commission must not delay any further.”
The PDP also voiced its concerns over the EC’s move not to hold by-elections in J&K. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been patiently awaiting the restoration of their democratic rights. While the Election Commission has promptly announced by-elections in states like Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Punjab, the silence on Jammu and Kashmir raises troubling questions,” Mehboob Beg, chief spokesperson of the PDP, said.
He said this delay undermines the democratic aspirations of our people and risks further alienating them from the electoral process.
“This discrepancy reflects a lack of priority for the Union Territory’s democratic processes. Jammu and Kashmir has already endured a prolonged period without a fully functional elected government. The delay in holding bye-elections for vacant seats only deepens the political vacuum and erodes public trust in institutions,” Mr. Beg said.
He called for transparency from the EC regarding the reasons behind the delay. “If there are logistical or security concerns, the ECI must communicate these clearly to the public. Keeping the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the dark is unacceptable. We urge the ECI to treat Jammu and Kashmir with the same urgency and importance as other states,” he said.
Meanwhile, the PDP demanded the restoration of full democratic processes in Jammu and Kashmir, including the conduct of timely elections. “The right to vote and be represented is non-negotiable. The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve to have their voices heard through their elected representatives without further delay,” Mr. Beg concluded.
The PDP has stated that it would continue to monitor the situation closely and engage with relevant authorities to ensure that the democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir were upheld.
Published – May 26, 2025 10:15 pm IST
