New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI): The Election Commission on Wednesday announced that biennial elections to fill four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir, which have remained vacant since 2021, will be held on October 24.

Separately, a bypoll to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of AAP member Sanjeev Arora from Punjab will also take place on the same date. Arora had stepped down after being elected to the Punjab assembly, though his Rajya Sabha term was otherwise due to end in April 2028.

The elections in Jammu and Kashmir come nearly a year after assembly polls were held in the Union Territory. Rajya Sabha members are elected by MLAs of their respective states and Union Territories.

Jammu and Kashmir has had no representation in the Upper House of Parliament since February 2021, when the terms of Ghulam Nabi Azad and Nazir Ahmed Laway ended on February 15, followed by Fayaz Ahmed Mir and Shamsheer Singh Manhas on February 10.

The EC noted that after the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature), four Rajya Sabha seats were allocated to J&K. These seats, however, remained vacant due to the absence of a legislative assembly until its recent constitution.

Polling will take place on October 24, with counting of votes scheduled for the evening, an hour after the close of polling, the EC said.