Jammu and Kashmir’s long-vacant Rajya Sabha seats unfilled since February 2021, will finally be contested on October 24, 2025. The four seats, left empty after Article 370’s abrogation and the absence of an elected assembly, now hinge on the 90-member legislature led by Omar Abdullah’s National Conference (NC)-Congress coalition, commanding 49 votes. The NC’s 42 seats ensure a strong claim on at least two seats, while the BJP’s 29 Jammu-centric MLAs eye the others. Independent lawmakers and nominated members could sway the dual-seat contest, where 23 votes per candidate suffice.
These elections are more than political math. For over four years, J&K’s Upper House silence has sidelined urgent issues flood-damaged infrastructure, youth unemployment, and post-2019 tensions. The region needs representatives who amplify its pulse, not Delhi’s echo. The NC-Congress bloc, rooted in the Valley’s aspirations, must field candidates who prioritize statehood restoration and economic revival. The BJP, dominant in Jammu, should resist nominating distant elites and instead back voices attuned to local struggles.
Parties must choose candidates accessible to the common man leaders who walk Srinagar’s lanes, understand Jammu’s markets, and feel Ladakh’s isolation. These seats aren’t for party loyalists or dynasts but for advocates who bridge J&K’s diverse ethos. As nominations close on October 13, the NC, Congress, and BJP must shun divisive rhetoric and select representatives who embody hope, not hegemony. A balanced outcome could signal unity; a polarized one risks deepening fault lines. Let the chosen four carry J&K’s voice to Delhi loud, clear, and grounded in the people’s realities.
