7 months ago
2
The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh connected Saturday (October 18, 2025) directed the authorities to guarantee Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mehraj Malik tin ballot successful the upcoming Rajya Sabha predetermination for 4 seats successful the Union Territory.
The State counsel informed the Court that the authorities person already dispatched postal ballots to Kathua jail, wherever the legislator is lodged nether the Public Safety Act (PSA) since September 8, 2025.
The Court bid came connected an exertion filed by Mr. Malik seeking support to enactment successful the upcoming Assembly league starting successful Srinagar connected October 23, 2025 and to formed his ballot successful the Rajya Sabha predetermination scheduled for the adjacent day.
Justice Rajesh Sekhri directed the authorities to guarantee that the detainee is allowed to formed his vote, an Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson.
The AAP person was represented by elder advocator Rahul Pant, and advocates S.S. Ahmed, Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, Appu Singh Slathia, Tariq Mughal, and M. Zulkarnain Chowdhary.
The counsels stressed that the exertion indispensable beryllium considered today.
Senior Additional Advocate General Monika Kohli, on with elder advocator Sunil Sethi, appeared for the authorities and apprised the Court that they had filed the reply to the exertion connected Friday (October 17). The Court responded that it was not connected record.
Mr. Sethi submitted that the authorities had already sent the postal ballot papers to the authorization to guarantee that the detained legislator could registry his choice.
Meanwhile, officials said Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Secretary Manoj Pandit, who is besides the returning serviceman for the Rajya Sabha polls, dispatched 3 postal ballots to Kathua jailhouse for Mr. Malik to ballot arsenic per the law, which allows a detained legislator to enactment successful the exercise.
Mr. Malik's individuality indispensable beryllium confirmed by a declaration signed by the jailhouse superintendent, officials said.
While 2 Rajya Sabha seats are going to polls separately, 2 different seats are clubbed unneurotic nether a communal notification, allowing each legislator to formed 3 votes.
The National Conference has fielded 4 candidates against 3 by the BJP.
