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Elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are conducted in accordance with the Constitution of India to elect the representatives of various bodies at national, state and district levels including the 114 seat (90 seats + 24 seats reserved for Pakistan-administered Kashmir) unicameral Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and the Parliament of India.[1][2] The first elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir took place between 28 November and 19 December 2020 in the form of by-elections to District Development Councils and municipal and panchayat level bodies.[3][4] A fresh delimitation process for assembly constituencies began in February–March 2020.[1][5]
Prior to 2019, the State of Jammu and Kashmir included elections to the Parliament of India, both houses of the bicameral state legislature, and various other local level bodies such as municipalities and Panchayat constituencies. There were 87 assembly constituencies and 6 Lok sabha constituencies (parliamentary constituencies) including those of Ladakh.[6][7]
Legislative assembly elections in the state have been held 11 times since 1951 whereas Parliamentary elections have been held 12 times since 1967. Municipal elections in the state have been held four times since 1947, with the October 2018 elections being the fifth time they were held.[8][9] Before becoming a state, Praja Sabha were held, with the first Praja Sabha election in 1934.[10][11]
Prior to 2019, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), Jammu & Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Indian National Congress (INC) have been the dominant political parties in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. But from 1996 onwards the vote share of Bharatiya Janata Party has increased in the parliamentary elections for the state, from 12.45% in 2008 to 23% in 2014.[12]
Background
Princely state of Jammu and Kashmir electoral system
In 1932, a Franchise Committee was set up to frame those who would vote as adult suffrage was considered impractical and unfeasible. The committee fixed the minimum voting age at 21 years. For women voters it was decided that those women who had passed middle school or higher could vote, while for males the criteria were broader and included village officials, religious representatives, retired or pensioned officers, lawyers, doctors, schoolmasters etc. were given franchise. Only a state subject would qualify to vote and British Indians were not allowed. In general, the measure of qualification to vote was the possession of property. Those grazing livestock were also enfranchised. For those standing the election the minimum age was 25 years of age and would include only those who were literate in Urdu.[16]
The services of Ivo Elliot, a retired Indian Civil Services officer, were utilized from 1933 onwards. Under him the princely state was delimited, the election method was set up, and the population was made aware of the electoral process. He divided the territory into 33 constituencies. 138 polling stations for rural constituencies were set up, 32 in Srinagar and 6 in Jammu. 76 nominations were received. Coloured box or symbol system as suggested by the Lothian Committee in British India was utilized.[17]
The Praja Sabha (the Legislative Assembly at the time) was to have 75 members, of which 33 would be elected members (for the 33 constituencies), 12 would be officials, and 30 nominated members. (14 members were nominated as it was not possible to conduct elections in some places such as Ladakh and Gilgit due to the territorial expanse; and the remaining 16 would be nominated as State Councilors).[18] In effect, the elected members chosen through the popular vote would be in the minority in the Legislative Assembly.[19]
State of Jammu and Kashmir electoral system
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The Constitution of India gives power to the Election Commission of India to oversee the establishment of the electoral roles as well as organize the elections to both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council in Jammu and Kashmir.
Delimitation has taken place in the state in 1963, 1973 and 1995. The last delimitation in 1995 was based on the 1981 census.[20] Following the 1995 delimitation the number of seats was increased from 76 to 87 (and an additional 24 seats reserved for areas under Pakistan).[21]
Elections to elect all the 111 members of the Legislative Assembly is based universal adult suffrage from people among the state constituencies. The Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) of Jammu and Kashmir has 36 members. Out of these 22 members are elected according to a "system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote", 6 members are elected from among members municipal council, town area committees, notified area committees, Panchayats and other bodies.[22]
Panchayat elections which are held for sarpanch and panch constituencies as part of the Panchayati Raj system in the state are held according to the provisions in the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act 1989.[23][24] The authority to form the 'Panchayat Electoral Rolls' and to the conduct Panchayat elections are given to the Chief Electoral Officer, Jammu and Kashmir.[25] Municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir are conducted on the basis of the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act 2000.[26]
Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir electoral system
A new delimitation process for the assembly constituencies of the Union Territory began in February–March 2020.[1] The COVID-19 pandemic in India as well as political participation issues delayed the progress.[27] On 24 June 2021, Prime Minister Modi met with political leaders from the region signaling a renewed effort with the delimitation process.[5] The Delimitation Commission is chaired by retired Supreme Court of India Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. The delimitation is based on the 2011 census of India and is being undertaken as per the amended Delimitation Act, 2002 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.[28] There are 280 District Development Council (DDC) seats in the union territory equally divided between the Jammu and Kashmir regions. In each of the 20 districts of the union territory there are 14 constituencies.[29]
Major political parties
This list includes state parties as well as national parties. It also includes political parties which no longer exist:
National parties
- BJP: Bharatiya Janata Party
- BSP: Bahujan Samaj Party
- CPM: Communist Party of India (Marxist)
- INC: Indian National Congress
State parties of Jammu and Kashmir
- JKNC: Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, founded 1932
- PDP: Jammu & Kashmir People's Democratic Party, split from INC in 1999[30]
- JKAP: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, formed in 2020 and led by Altaf Bukhari
- JKNPP: Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, formed in 1982
- JKPC: Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference, founded in 1978
- JKPM: Jammu & Kashmir People's Movement, formed 2019
- JKWP: Jammu and Kashmir Workers Party, formed in 2020 and led by Mir Junaid
Alliances
- PAGD: People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, founded 2020
Other
- MC: All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, founded in 1932, renamed JKNC in 1939
- PC: Jammu & Kashmir Political Conference, separated from JKNC in 1947
- PF: Jammu & Kashmir Plebiscite Front, founded in 1955, renamed as JKNC in 1977
- Jamaat: Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir, formed soon after 1947, contested elections since 1972 (under the MUF umbrella in 1987)[31]
- MUF: Muslim United Front, a coalition of Islamic groups (Jamaat-e-Islami, Ummat-e-Islami, Anjunmane Ittehad-ul-Musalmeen) that contested elections in 1987[32]
Lok Sabha elections
The state of Jammu and Kashmir has taken part in 12 general elections to the Lok Sabha of India.[33] The first time that Jammu & Kashmir sent elected members to the Lok Sabha was in 1967. Elections were not held in 1990 in Jammu and Kashmir due to insurgency in the region.[citation needed][34]
The table below shows how the Indian National Congress (INC) and Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) have won the most Lok Seats in the state since 1967. JKNC and INC has won the seats 27 times each. The other parties won seats in general elections to the Lok Sabha from Jammu and Kashmir are Jammu & Kashmir People's Democratic Party 4 times, Bharatiya Janata Party 13 times, Janata Dal only 1 time and independent candidates 6 times. After delimitation in 2021, the Anantnag constituency was replaced by the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency.
| Key for parties |
|---|
|
JKNC (27) INC (27) BJP (13) Independent (6) JKPDP (4) JD (1) |
| Election Year | Winners | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter turnout (%)[35] | Total | Baramulla | Srinagar | Anantnag | Ladakh | Udhampur | Jammu | |
| Elections in the State of Jammu and Kashmir | ||||||||
| 1967 | INC: 5, JKNC: 1,[36] | INC | JKNC | INC | INC | INC | INC | |
| 1971 | INC: 5, Independent: 1 | INC | IND | INC | INC | INC | INC | |
| 1977 | JKNC: 3, INC: 1, IND: 1 | JKNC | JKNC | INC | INC | INC | IND | |
| 1980 | JKNC: 3, Congress(I): 1, Congress(U): 1 | JKNC | JKNC | JKNC | IND | INC(U) | INC(I) | |
| 1984 | JKNC: 3, INC: 3[37] | JKNC | JKNC | JKNC | INC | INC | INC | |
| 1989 | JKNC: 3, INC: 2, IND: 1[38] | JKNC | JKNC | JKNC | IND | INC | INC | |
| 1991 | Elections Not Held | |||||||
| 1996 | INC: 4, BJP: 1, JD: 1[39] | INC | INC | JD | INC | BJP | INC | |
| 1998 | JKNC: 3, BJP: 2, INC: 1[40] | JKNC | JKNC | INC | JKNC | BJP | BJP | |
| 1999 | JKNC: 4, BJP: 2[41] | JKNC | JKNC | JKNC | JKNC | BJP | BJP | |
| 2004 | JKNC: 2, INC: 2, JKPDP: 1, IND: 1[42] | JKNC | JKNC | JKPDP | IND | INC | INC | |
| 2009 | JKNC: 3, INC: 2, IND: 1[43] | JKNC | JKNC | JKNC | IND | INC | INC | |
| 2014 | 49.72% | BJP: 3, PDP: 3 | JKPDP | JKPDP | JKPDP | BJP | BJP | BJP |
| 2019 | 44.97% | BJP: 3, JKNC: 3 | JKNC | JKNC | JKNC | BJP | BJP | BJP |
| Elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir | ||||||||
| 2024 | 58.46% | BJP: 2, JKNC: 2, IND: 1 | IND | JKNC | JKNC | - | BJP | BJP |
Legislative assembly elections
After the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir was amended, the name Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir changed into Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.[44][45]