Mudasir Ahmad / Abid Ahmad
Srinagar, Mar 12: With national parliamentary elections looming, major political parties in Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to simultaneously conduct the long-pending assembly elections in the union territory. The parties made the unanimous request during meetings with the ECI team, led by Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who is on a three-day visit to J&K to review preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Representatives from the National Conference, PDP, BJP, CPI(M), Congress, and AAP met with the poll panel officials in Srinagar on Tuesday. They stressed the importance of holding the assembly elections along with the parliamentary polls, citing the prolonged period in J&K since the dissolution of the legislative assembly in 2018.
Talking to the reporters after meeting the delegation, National Conference (NC) Provincial President Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani, who led a delegation of the party, said that they pitched for the simultaneous polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We informed the delegation as the Prime Minister is keen for one nation one election, then let the process be started from Jammu and Kashmir,” he said and demanded free and fair elections in the Union Territory.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) General Secretary, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura, said the party has put forth its demand before the delegation and is expecting that it will be looked into.
“We have raised the issue of service voters here. We want the list to be made public. Besides, we demanded the simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir,” Hanjura said, adding that “if the situation is conducive for LS polls then why not for the assembly polls.
A BJP delegation also met the Election Commission of India.
After the meeting, BJP leader R S Pathania said they conveyed their willingness to hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.
“Whatever decision the ECI, we are ready for Assembly elections in J&K,” he said while accusing the NC, PDP, and Congress of deceiving the people with half-truths.
To streamline the voting process, the BJP proposed setting up polling stations outside the Union Territory where the Kashmiri Pandit population resides.
Similarly, Congress has also called for the immediate holding of assembly elections in J&K.
The Supreme Court has set a deadline of September 30 for the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to hold assembly elections, as part of the statehood restoration process, with general elections scheduled for April or May for their six Lok Sabha seats.
Moreover, the poll body is set to meet the people and the civil administration from the Jammu division on March 13
Pertinently, Chief Secretary Atal Dullu had on Saturday chaired a meeting with the civil and police administration to sensitize them about the measures to be taken for the smooth conduct of Lok Sabha Elections here in the UT.
During this meeting, the Chief Secretary maintained that the objective of the administration is to ensure free and fair elections with large scale participation of the public. He impressed upon the Divisional and District administration to take all the necessary measures to ensure that people don’t face any hardships in exercising their democratic rights.
