The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 increased the total number of seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly to 114. However, 24 of these seats are reserved for areas currently under Pakistan-administered Jammu-Kashmir and remain vacant. This leaves 90 seats for the regions administered by India, which are filled through direct elections.
Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly has implemented specific seat reservations to ensure representation for various communities, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and women. Below is a detailed breakdown of these reservations:
1. Total Seats in the Assembly
- Total Seats: 114
- Seats Reserved for Pakistan-Administered Jammu-Kashmir: 24 (These seats remain vacant)
- Effective Seats: 90
2. Reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST)
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Scheduled Castes (SC): 7 seats are reserved.
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Scheduled Tribes (ST): 9 seats are reserved.
3. Reservation for Women
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General Reservation: The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, introduced provisions to reserve seats for women in the Legislative Assembly. Specifically, as nearly as may be, one-third of the seats reserved under sub-section (7) of section 14 shall be reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes.
Nominated Members: The Lieutenant Governor has the authority to nominate two members to the Legislative Assembly if women are not adequately represented. Additionally, the Lieutenant Governor may nominate two representatives of Kashmiri migrant families (one seat reserved for a woman) and one member to represent migrants from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK).