Shadow Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 6:
The Election Commission of India on Monday announced the schedule for by-election to Budgam and Nagrota assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir along with Bihar Assembly election 2025.
Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), announced that the by-election to two seats in J&K will be held on November 11, while counting will be held on November 14. The poll body also announced the schedule for Bihar election 2025 along with the by-election schedule to some other seats in other states as well.
The Budgam seat fell vacant after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated it and retained Ganderbal seat after winning from both the seats in the Assembly election last year.
The Nagrota seat fell vacant after the death of BJP leader Devender Singh Rana on October 31 last year, just a couple of weeks after the Assembly election result was declared in Jammu and Kashmir.
The assembly elections in Bihar will be held in two phases, polling for which will be held on November 6
By-election to Budgam
and 11 while the counting of votes will be done on November 14, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced on Monday.
The entire election process will be concluded by November 16.
“Bihar elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting of votes will be done on November 14,” Kumar said at a press conference.
“It is mandatory to complete counting of postal ballots before the last two rounds of counting of votes,” he added.
While 121 assembly constituencies will go to the polls in the first phase, voting will be held in 122 assembly constituencies in the second phase.
Kumar termed the Bihar elections as “mother of all elections”.
For the first phase, the last date of filing nominations is October 17 while the scrutiny will be held on October 18. The last date of withdrawal of candidature for first phase elections is October 20.
Similarly, for the second phase, the last date of filing nominations is October 20 while scrutiny will be held on October 21. The last date of withdrawal of candidature for the first phase elections is October 23.
The term of the current Assembly ends on November 22. Bihar has 243 constituencies, including two reserved for Scheduled Tribes and 38 for Scheduled Castes. (Agencies)
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued three separate notifications, initiating the nomination process for four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu & Kashmir.
The first notification states that an election will be held to fill the vacancy in the Council of States caused due to the retirement of Shri Mir Mohammad Fayaz on February 10, 2021, upon the expiration of his term.
The Returning Officer has informed that nomination papers can be submitted by candidates or their proposers to the Returning Officer (Secretary, J&K Legislative Assembly) or the Assistant Returning Officer (Additional Secretary, J&K Legislative Assembly) at their offices located in the Legislative Assembly Secretariat, Srinagar, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on any working day.
The last date for submission of nomination forms is Monday, October 13, 2025. Forms of nomination may be obtained at the same offices during the stated timings.
Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 11 a.m. in the office of the Returning Officer at the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly Secretariat, Srinagar.
Candidates may withdraw their nomination by Thursday, October 16, 2025, before 3 p.m. either personally or through authorized proposers or election agents. In the event of a contested election, polling will be conducted on Friday, October 24, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, it reads. The second notification pertains to the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by Shri Shamsher Singh on February 10, 2021. The procedure for filing, scrutiny, and withdrawal of nominations, as well as polling, remains the same as outlined in the first notification. The Returning Officer for this election is Manoj Kumar Pandit, Secretary of the J&K Legislative Assembly.
The third notification relates to the election of two members to the Council of States to fill vacancies caused by the retirement of Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad and Shri Nazir Ahmed Laway on February 15, 2021, upon the completion of their terms. Nomination papers can be delivered at the same offices between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., with the last date for filing being October 13, 2025, it reads.
Scrutiny will be conducted on October 14, 2025, at 11 a.m., and withdrawal of candidature must be completed before 3 p.m. on October 16. Polling, if required, will be held on October 24, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The ECI has reiterated that all forms and submission procedures must adhere to the timelines specified, and candidates or their authorized agents are responsible for delivering the papers within the prescribed schedule.
