The Jammu Bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has demanded answers from the Election Commission of India, the Centre, and the UT administration over why two assembly seats — Nagrota and Budgam — have remained without elected representatives for more than ten months.
Acting on a petition by former minister Harsh Dev Singh, Justice Sanjay Dhar directed the authorities to respond by September 8, the date set for the next hearing.
Singh’s plea accuses the poll body of sidestepping its constitutional obligation under Section 151A of the Representation of People Act, 1951, which requires filling such vacancies within six months. He contends that the prolonged silence amounts to stripping citizens of their right to representation, with justifications like “massive snowfall” serving as hollow excuses for the delay.
