The team is headed by Chief Election Commission Rajiv Kumar
Srinagar:
A team of the Election Commission (EC) today arrived in Srinagar to review the preparedness for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
The assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are long overdue and the Supreme Court has set a deadline of September 30 to conduct polls in the Union Territory.
The team, headed by Chief Election Commission Rajiv Kumar, is on a two-day visit and has started meeting with the representatives of political parties to get their feedback before meeting senior police officials of all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
An ECI delegation led by CEC Rajiv Kumar and ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. SS Sandhu arrived at Srinagar today to review poll preparedness in J&K. #AssemblyElections#ECIpic.twitter.com/aKfurMoCV0
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 8, 2024
After meeting the commission, the BJP said they want the conclusion of elections before September 30. The party also asked for the restoration of statehood.
“Elections have to be concluded before September 30, the deadline set by the Supreme Court. The BJP is ready for polls and there cannot be any delay in holding these polls,” party spokesperson RS Pathania said.
The panel is also scheduled to meet top officials of the J&K administration and chief electoral officers.
Last J&K Assembly Polls Were Held In 2014
The last assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir were held in 2014 and this is the longest gap between the two elections.
J&K has been under central rule since June 2018 and its special status under Article 370 was revoked In August 2019, dividing it into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
This is the third visit of the poll body to Jammu and Kashmir since 2019. Earlier, the EC team had come to oversee preparations for the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and 2024. Both times, the EC had declined to hold simultaneous elections in the union territory.
After recent parliament elections, in which Kashmir witnessed a record turnout, the poll body said they would soon hold assembly elections in the region.
During his Srinagar visit last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced that assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be held soon and that its statehood would also be restored.