The authorities are set to complete the special summary revision of electoral rolls in Budgam and Nagrota seats, which are lying vacant in Jammu & Kashmir Assembly for more than six months now.
Official sources told that voter revision exercise would be completed in these segments on May 5 (Monday) with publication of the final electoral roll. “The conclusion of the exercise would set the ball rolling for the announcement of the schedule for electoral exercise by the Election Commission of India,” they said, adding that it will take into account the situation in Jammu and Kashmir following the Pahalgam attack before announcing the schedule for the upcoming polls.
Both these seats fell vacant in October last year. Omar Abdullah vacated the Budgam seat on October 21, while the Nagrota seat became vacant on October 31 following the demise of BJP MLA Devinder Singh Rana.
As per Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, a bye-election to fill any vacancy must be conducted within six months from the date the seat was vacated.
However, the poll-body couldn’t hold the exercise within the six-month deadline.
As of now, National Conference appears to have a strong position in the Budgam seat, benefiting from a weak and fragmented opposition in Kashmir. On the other hand, the BJP is expected to secure the Nagrota seat without significant obstacles.
In the 2014 and 2024 assembly polls, these seats were respectively won by NC and BJP—(KNO)
