According to the electoral legislation, the by-election for two vacant seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly will take place before April 20, 2025.
Officials stated that the Election Commission of India must organise elections for the Budgam and Nagrota seats by April 20 in accordance with legal regulations that require the ECI to fill vacant seats.
While Omar Abdullah, who won both Budgam and Ganderbal seats, elected to leave the former on October 21, the Nagrota seat became empty on October 31 owing to the death of Devinder Singh Rana.
According to Section 151A of the Representation of Peoples Act of 1951, a bye-election to fill any vacancy must be held within six months of the vacancy occurring.
The election for these two seats must be held before April 20, 2025,” according to the officials. However, it can be held after the six-month deadline if the Election Commission, in consultation with the Central Government, certifies that it is difficult to hold the bye-election within the specified time frame.
In the 2024 state elections, Omar Abdullah won the Budgam seat by more over 18000 votes over Muntazir Mehdi, the son of separatist leader Agha Hassan.
Rana won the Nagrota seat by defeating National Conference candidate Joginder Singh by 30,472 votes. (KNO)
