With no legislature, Electoral College for Rajya Sabha, in place since June 2018 and next elections not in sight, Jammu and Kashmir will cease to have representation in Upper House of the Indian Parliament by February 2021.
The erstwhile state used to send four Members to the Rajya Sabha who are elected by the Members of Legislative Assembly. Last elections, for term of six years, were held in February 2015, which is also remembered as first indication of the ideological rivals Peoples Democratic Party and Bhartiya Janta Party coming together as they supported each other before formal announcement of the alliance.With a term of four Rajya Sabha Members from Jammu and Kashmir coming to an end in February next year, the newly created Union Territory will have no representative in the House to raise the concern of the people.
Jammu and Kashmir presently has four MPs in the Upper House namely, Congress party stalwart Ghulam Nabi Azad, two from Peoples Democratic Party, Nazir Ahmad Laway, Mir Mohd Fayaz and from Shamsher Singh Manhas from the Bharatiya Janta Party.
Mir Fayaz and Shamsher Singh Manhas will be retiring on February 10, 2021, whereas Ghulam Nabi Azad and Nazir Ahmad Laway will be retiring on February 15, 2021.
The term of all these Rajya Sabha members, who are representing Jammu and Kashmir, is ending in February 2021. The issues of the general public like development, concerns would not be raised in the House for their redressal in view of their term coming to an end and this region will have no representative to pitch the voice of the people.
