Committed to hold Assembly elections in J&K: CEC
Security forces, Admn capable to deal with any situation
87.09 lakh voters, 11,838 PSs in J&K
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 9: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar today said the Election Commission is committed to hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and that they will review security scenario after going back to New Delhi, discuss every aspect and keep the Supreme Court deadline (of September 30 for conducting the polls) in mind.
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Addressing a press conference here this afternoon, Kumar flanked by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu, said the people (in Jammu and Kashmir) are eagerly waiting for Assembly elections and the Poll Panel is committed to the task. “We are committed to hold polls and our focus is to convert the image-people created by participating enthusiastically in Lok Sabha elections-into the reality,’’ he added.
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Without giving any deadline for announcement of the election schedule, the CEC, however, said Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrimage will conclude on August 19 and they will take a review once again in Delhi and decide accordingly about the polls.
Responding to a question on recent terror attacks in the Jammu region and their impact on Assembly elections, Kumar said our security forces and entire administration is capable enough to deal with any situation that comes in the way.
“Given the overwhelming response during the Lok Sabha elections in April-May, there is a need to build on that momentum. The UT Government officials have also said that they are ready to hold elections, and no concerns about any inconvenience were raised,” he said.
Asserting that security situations pose their own challenges, the Chief Election Commissioner said there have been some minor changes in the scenario since the Parliamentary elections, but these cannot and will not disrupt the elections.
“The administration is fully competent to handle such challenges. Such “nefarious acts” are often engineered in response to successful elections. We remain confident in our resolve. No design, however disruptive, will be allowed to succeed,” he said.
Kumar also assured that the enthusiasm and high voter turnout seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would not be diminished by such minor challenges.
“We are fully committed to ensuring that nothing disrupts the election process. Such situations will not arise, and we will not allow any forces to succeed by delaying the polls. The security forces and administration are more than capable of dealing with any such situation. The flag of democracy will continue to fly high,” he added.
Asserting that all political parties have strongly advocated for holding Assembly elections soon, he said the Commission too is committed to conduct elections at the earliest in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed confidence that the people will respond robustly to disruptive forces and there will be increased voter participation whenever elections are held..
“We are ready to build on the successes of the previous Parliamentary elections. We will first review the availability of security forces in New Delhi. The Supreme Court’s deadline of September 30 will be kept in mind. We will inform you accordingly,” Kumar said when asked about the timeline for Assembly elections.
“Timing of elections in any State depends on the expiry of the Assembly’s term,” he added.
Kumar said they met recognised political parties in the UT and they unanimously praised the people and the Election Commission for conducting peaceful and historic Parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The political parties acknowledged that the high voter participation was a historic achievement, with no untoward incidents. Public faith in the electoral process has increased, he asserted.
“All political parties agreed that elections should be held as early as possible and also called for a level playing field in the elections,” the CEC said, adding they emphasised the need for elected representatives to connect better with the people, ensuring the progress of democracy in the region. They believe that the people should form their own Government, and elections should be held soon, he said.
Kumar said a “positive challenge” was anticipated increase in participation from both candidates and voters.
“The challenge lies in making this a reality on the ground,” he said.
Kumar stressed that all officials have been directed to be proactive in making the necessary arrangements at polling stations and on the ground.
“There was significant enthusiasm among young voters, and we aim to build on this momentum by providing an appropriate atmosphere, which is also a challenge we are ready to meet,” he said.
The CEC outlined various directives regarding security, voter facilities, and providing the best possible environment for the elections.
There are 87.09 lakh electorates and 11,838 Polling Stations in Jammu and Kashmir, an official document circulated at Election Commission’s press conference, revealed.
Among 87.09 lakh voters, 44.46 lakh are males and 42.62 lakh are females.
Besides, there are 169 transgender, 82590 People with Disabilities (PwDs), 73943 Very Senior Citizens, 2660 Centenarians, 76092 Service Electors and 3.71 lakh First Time Voters.
However, the Special Summary Revision of the electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir is on and the final electoral rolls are likely to be published around August 20.
Number of the Polling Stations in Jammu and Kashmir is 11,838 including 2332 in urban areas and 9506 in rural areas.
Average voters per polling station stand at 735.
Out of 11,838 polling stations, 90 each are PwD and women managed while 360 are Model Polling Stations.
Kumar said that the Commission has set up Special Polling Stations for Kashmiri migrants ahead of the Assembly elections in the UT.
“At least 26 Special Polling Stations have been set up in Delhi, Jammu and Udhampur for the Kashmiri migrants,” he said.
He added that there is no need for cumbersome Form-M for Jammu and Udhampur.
“The decision to scrap the requirement of Form M was welcomed by all the stakeholders,” the CEC added.
Earlier in the morning, the Election Commission held consultations with Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and DGP RR Swain in Srinagar to review the preparedness for Assembly polls..
They reviewed the preparedness of the administration as well as the security agencies for the conduct of the polls and sought feedback from the DGP on the readiness and preparation of the forces for the polls. The issues of deployment of forces, providing security cover to candidates, and security during campaigning were deliberated upon, the officials said.
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