Election Fever Hits J&K: EC to arrive today for ground zero assessment

Srinagar, Aug 7: A high-powered team from the Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to touch down in Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday, igniting hopes for the revival of democracy in the region after a six-year hiatus. The visit marks a crucial step towards holding the much-anticipated assembly polls in J&K.
The full commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and including Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, will kick off their whirlwind tour with a packed agenda. Their mission: to assess the ground reality and readiness for elections.

Beginning at 11:15 AM, the ECI team will engage in a series of high-stakes meetings with a diverse array of stakeholders. On their list are representatives from major political parties, including the National Conference, BJP, Congress, PDP, BSP, CPI(M), and AAP. Notably absent will be the Panthers Party, whose name and symbol were frozen by the ECI in March 2024.
The commissioners will then shift gears, conferring with all twenty Deputy Commissioners and twenty-three SSPs/SPs in a joint session at 2 PM. As the day progresses, they’ll huddle with the Chief Electoral Officer, State Police Nodal Officer, and Coordinator of Central Paramilitary Forces to fine-tune security arrangements.
The evening will see the ECI team in closed-door meetings with Chief Secretary Atul Dullo and Director General of Police RR Swain, before they jet off to Jammu for a midnight rendezvous with law enforcement agencies.
This visit comes in the wake of a Supreme Court directive mandating assembly polls in J&K by September 30 this year. As the clock ticks, all eyes are on the Election Commission’s next move.
The grand finale of this high-octane visit will be a press conference at 2:30 PM on Friday, where the commission is expected to shed light on their findings and potentially, the road ahead for democracy in Jammu & Kashmir.