Srinagar, Jul 31: The Election Commission (EC) is likely to visit Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory later this year, to take stock of the political situation, sources told MK.
However sources said that the call on Assembly polls will only be taken after the Election commission takes an assessment report of the ground situation from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Jammu and Kashmir Union territory administration.
Sources said that during the possible visit in September- October, the Commission comprising top functionaries will meet state administration, police force, National and local political party leaders and besides it will visit both the Jammu and Kashmir division of the Union territory.
“The Commission is likely to take feedback from deputy commissioners, election commission officials, and other organizations,” sources said.
However sources said that the Assembly elections might be delayed further if the situation is not conducive and these would then be likely held together with the Lok Sabha elections next year.
Sources, however, said local Panchayat and municipal elections are most likely to be held this year as the five-year term of these expires in January 2024.
The last Assembly elections were held here in November 2014. A PDP-BJP coalition government took office in March 2015 and the coalition government fell after the BJP withdrew from it in July 2018.
J&K was downgraded to a union territory in 2019 and bifurcated into UT of J&K and Ladakh. This followed the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35 A by Parliament on August 5, 2019.
Meanwhile even though there is no announcement on elections, it has not put a full stop to the political activities of parties in the state.
At least one political rally is being organised every day somewhere in J&K. In these rallies, political leaders urge the government to hold the polls in J&K.
Recently J&K BJP’s President Ravinder Raina told reporters on the sidelines of a rally held in connection with the party celebrations to commemorate completion of nine years of BJP Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his party is not shying away from assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. “We are not shying away from elections and we appeal to the Election Commission of India to announce dates for polls,”
He had said that the people of J&K have rejected regional parties and they are now shoulder to shoulder with BJP. “I feel very happy to see here hundreds of people chanting slogans of BJP,” he had said adding from Lakanpur to Uri people are with BJP. “The people have realised that previous regimes have deceived them.”
The senior BJP leader had said that they are hopeful that elections in J&K would be held very soon. “We are ready for elections anytime,” he had said, adding that BJP will win with a thumping majority and form the government in J&K on its own.
Former chief minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah had said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India had assured assembly elections in J&K ‘soon’.
A delegation of national and regional leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, led by Dr Abdullah, had signed a memorandum and submitted it to the CEC. “All leaders from Jammu and Kashmir were with us. We met national leaders and then the chief election commissioner and another member. We submitted a memorandum to them, which was duly signed by national leaders and regional leaders,” Dr Abdullah had said.
