CS, DGP’s views taken on video conference
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 1: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will visit Jammu and Kashmir next week to assess preparedness for the Assembly elections and will meet top brass of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) before and after visiting the State to take call on whether to hold Assembly elections in the State simultaneously with Lok Sabha polls or defer them. The Commission has already held one meeting with the MHA officials besides with Chief Secretary, J&K, BVR Subrahmanyam and Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh through video conferencing.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora will lead the ECI delegation to Jammu and Kashmir, which earlier was scheduled to visit the State on January 27 and 28 but had deferred the visit in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tour to all three regions of the State on February 3.
Arora announced the Election Commission’s decision to visit J&K next week at a press conference at Kolkata.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), J&K, Shailender Kumar, however, told the Excelsior that dates of the Election Commission’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir were yet to be finalized.
“The Commission is scheduled to visit J&K. It will be the full Commission that will visit here and inter-act with political leaders, bureaucrats and Commission’s representatives to ascertain their views and assess requirements for holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections or not,” Kumar said, adding the dates will be decided in consultations with the Commission.
The Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held in April-May.
Sources said the Election Commission will hold a meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials and then visit Jammu and Kashmir to decide on holding the elections there along with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Sources said the Election Commission had held a meeting (through video conference) with Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam and DGP Dilbag Singh to take assessment of security situation for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, preparedness of the administration and number of additional para-military forces, which the State will require in the event of simultaneous polls.
When the Assembly was dissolved prematurely on November 21, the Election Commission had sought specific inputs from the MHA, sources said, adding that the Assembly elections had to be held within six months of dissolution of the House. For J&K, six months deadline expires on May 21. However, the elections can be deferred and President’s Rule extended beyond six months under exceptional circumstances, sources pointed out.
Sources said after return from Jammu and Kashmir tour, the Election Commission will hold another meeting with top officials of the MHA on security preparedness before deciding on conduct of the Assembly polls along with Lok Sabha elections.
The militancy-hit State was brought under President’s Rule on December 20 last year, paving the way for the Union Cabinet to take all policy decisions related to it.
Prior to it, the State was under Governor’s Rule for six months after the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition Government was reduced to minority following withdrawal of support by the BJP on June 19.
Governor Satya Pal Malik had on November 21 dissolved the 87-member State Assembly after the PDP, supported by the Congress and their arch rival National Conference, had staked claim to form the Government, followed by counter claim made by Sajjad Lone of People’s Conference.
At an All Party Meeting (APM) called by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Lok Sabha elections on December 18, all political parties had demanded conduct of simultaneous Assembly elections with Lok Sabha polls. The BJP had, however, suggested that the decision on when to hold the Assembly elections should be left to the discretion of the Election Commission of India.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
