Saralnama
The Union Ministry of Law and Justice rejected the Election Commission's request for a presidential order to stagger the tenure of Jammu and Kashmir's four Rajya Sabha seats. These seats have been vacant since February 2021 as all members' terms ended simultaneously. The ministry said no law allows such an order without amending it, which would affect other states too. Due to this, Jammu and Kashmir has no representation in the Rajya Sabha. The Election Commission has not held elections to fill these seats even after the 2024 assembly polls. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed concern over the delay and urged the Election Commission to conduct the elections soon. The vacancies also mean J&K will not have a voice in the upcoming Vice-President election on 9 September 2025. (Updated 28 Aug 2025, 11:33 IST; source: link)