J&K to Have Only Partial Role in Upcoming Vice Presidential Polls as RS Seats Remain Vacant

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir will have only partial representation in the upcoming Vice Presidential election, as the Union Territory currently lacks any members in the Rajya Sabha, one of the two Houses that form the electoral college for the poll.

The 74-year-old Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, submitted his resignation on Monday, prompting the Election Commission to begin preparations for filling the constitutional post.

While members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha vote in the Vice Presidential election, Jammu and Kashmir’s participation will be limited. Its five Lok Sabha MPs will cast their votes, but the absence of Rajya Sabha representatives means the UT will not have full parliamentary representation in the process.

All four Rajya Sabha seats allocated to Jammu and Kashmir have remained vacant since February 2021, when the terms of the last sitting members ended. Under constitutional provisions, Rajya Sabha members are elected by the legislative assemblies of states and Union Territories. However, due to the absence of an elected assembly in J&K since June 2018, no new members could be chosen.

Although an assembly election was eventually held in September 2024, the Election Commission has not yet initiated the Rajya Sabha election process, even nine months after the formation of a representative government.

On February 15, 2021, the terms of Ghulam Nabi Azad and Nazir Ahmad Laway ended. Just days earlier, on February 10, the tenures of Fayaz Ahmad Mir and Shamshir Singh Manhas had also concluded.

Political observers say the prolonged lack of Rajya Sabha representation exposes a wider democratic deficit in the region.

“Democracy is not implemented in piecemeal. It is a holistic approach,” said Shahnawaz Hussain, a political analyst.

He added, “Representation in Parliament is not symbolic, it is fundamental to federal governance. Denying a region its voice in the Rajya Sabha undermines the democratic process.”

The Vice President of India also serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. With the election expected to reflect the prevailing power dynamics between the ruling alliance and the opposition, Jammu and Kashmir’s incomplete participation once again highlights its unresolved parliamentary representation.