EC to visit Jammu & Kashmir on March 12- 13 to assess the feasibility of holding election
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is slated to visit Jammu & Kashmir on March 12 and 13 to assess the feasibility of conducting long-awaited assembly elections alongside the parliamentary polls.
Sources told to The Daily Guardian that a team led by Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and commissioners Anup Kumar Pandey and Arun Goel will visit both Kashmir and Jammu regions primarily to evaluate readiness for the impending Lok Sabha elections scheduled for April-May.
In addition to reviewing preparations for the Lok Sabha polls, the ECI delegation will explore the potential for holding Assembly elections, last conducted in J&K almost a decade ago in November-December 2014. The prospect of these elections has been a topic of discussion in Kashmir for years, fluctuating between anticipation and doubt.
The Supreme Court’s directive on December 11, 2023, mandated the ECI to conduct J&K Assembly polls by September 30, 2024. The region has been without an elected government since June 19, 2018, following the withdrawal of BJP support to the Mehbooba Mufti-led administration due to security concerns.
During their visit, the ECI panel plans to engage with various stakeholders, including politicians, administrators, and law enforcement officials, to solicit their perspectives on holding assembly elections. To ensure secure and peaceful polls, the ECI has sanctioned the deployment of 635 Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) companies in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the second-highest deployment after West Bengal.