Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Jan 08 : With Jammu & Kashmir’s four sitting Rajya Sabha members set to complete their term next month, the Union Territory would remain without representation in the House in absence of the Legislative Assembly.
Details available lay bare that all four Rajya Sabha MPs from J&K would complete their six-year term next.
While Fayaz Ahmad Mir (PDP) and Shamsher Singh Manhas (BJP) would complete their term on February 10, Ghulam Nabi Azad( Congress) and Nazir Ahmad Laway( expelled PDP leader) would hang up their boots on February 15
Azad, former Chief Minister of J&K, is the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha.
While Mir, Singh and Laway were elected as members of the House due to tactit understanding between PDP and BJP before they joined hands to form government in erstwhile state of J&K, Azad managed to win after getting support from National Conference and Independents.
After Centre abrogated Article 370 and reorganized J&K into two Union Territories in August 2019, their remaining term was protected by “The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act-2019”.
With this development, Jammu & Kashmir would remain without representation in Rajya Sabha until Assembly elections are held.
“The electoral college for these four Rajya Sabha seats comprises of MLAs of J&K UT Assembly. Since there are no MLAs presently in J&K, these seats would remain vacant. These seats can be filled only after Assembly elections,” an official said.
According to amendments made in The Representation of Peoples Act-1951 in March last year, the electoral college for Rajya Sabha seats of J&K comprises of its MLAs.
It is worthwhile to mention that J&K UT Assembly will have 90 MLAs reported KNO.
