The greatest festival of democracy being celebrated every five years across the greatest democracy of the world, shall start from April 11 with voting schedule to run in seven phases , details about which were given by the Election Commission of India on Sunday , March 10. While four States – Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha will also witness Assembly polls along with the Lok Sabha polls, Jammu and Kashmir State shall have to wait for some more time as the EC has deferred the Assembly elections which were expected to be held by May 21 while elections to six LS seats shall be held in five phases. However, latest reports are that the decision of not holding elections to the State Assembly may be reviewed which throws open space for positive results. Anantnag Parliamentary seat shall witness a 3 phased voting looking to the security scenario in South Kashmir. It may be noted that even otherwise by-poll to this Parliamentary seat could not be held for obvious reasons for the last over two years which had fallen vacant on account of the same being vacated by Mehbooba Mufti , PDP chief and former Chief Minister.
In other words, it denotes that there would be no simultaneous polls for both Assembly as well as Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir thus putting at rest any speculations about the possibility of having an elected Government as of now even though the state being under the President’s (Governor’s) rule. The decision of the Election Commission in not seeing conditions conducive for holding Assembly elections along with or slightly afterwards has drawn , as expected , severe criticism from different political parties.
EC has appointed three special poll observers – former IAS Officer Noor Mohammed , former IPS officer AS Gill and former Tourism Secretary Vinod Zutshi to observe and oversee the election process in the State.
Election Commission has tried to keep the duration of holding elections to Lok Sabha as also to four States electing their new State Assemblies to “manageable” minimum but the fact that IT revolution in which this country is heading towards attaining an enviable position of both participation and promotion in newer fields , must have an election system which consumes less time and where money is not spent lavishly . There should be such a system evolved whereby the EC should discipline political parties as also the candidates in campaigning as well as in making the entire process less costly. It is a travesty in this country that political parties are not enthusiastic towards bringing in more electoral reforms and transparency. EC should also take a firm stand against trivialising the efficacy and utility of EVMs About which we very often are used to listen to a lot of claptrap.
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