Announcement of J&K poll dates after final security review in Delhi: CEC

India’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on August 9, said that the commission was committed to conducting polls in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest, and poll dates will be announced after the final security assessment of the union territory in Delhi.

Kumar said they would not allow any internal or external forces to derail the electoral process. “Our forces are capable of dealing with any emerging situation. We will not allow anyone to derail the electoral process in J&K,” he told reporters in Srinagar.

“We will conduct a final security assessment in Delhi and announce the poll dates accordingly,” he added. An Election Commission (EC) delegation led by Kumar is in Jammu and Kashmir on a three-day visit to review the preparedness of the administration as well as the security agencies for the conduct of polls.

On the second day of their visit on August 9, the EC delegation, including Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, held meetings with J&K chief secretary Atal Dullo and the police chief R R Swain. The CEC said that all the political parties of J&K have demanded early polls.

“We got a positive feedback from the security heads, senior officials, and the district police chiefs on the conduct of polls even as there are a few security challenges to deal with. All regional political parties are strongly batting for the polls at the earliest,” he added.

Assembly polls have not been held in Jammu and Kashmir since 2014. The polls were due to be held in early 2019 following the dissolution of the legislative body of the erstwhile state a year before. However, after the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories in August 2019, the Assembly polls could not be held due to various reasons, including a delimitation exercise completed in 2022.

J&K RE-organisation act was passed in the parliament in December after the delimitation in May 2022. The electorates in J&K participated in large numbers in Lok Sabha polls in May this year. The participation of women and youth in particular in record numbers was hailed the world over.

Kumar said the political leaders he met in Srinagar and Jammu put forth a few demands including polling booths to be set up within a radius of two kms and installation of CCTVs at polling stations. “Both their demands have been met and instructions in this regard have also been passed,” he added.

Replying to a question that there was a Supreme Court deadline for holding polls in J&K by September 30, 2024, the CEC said, “No force can delay polls in J&K. People of UT will give a befitting response to disruptive forces,” he added.

The CEC said that political parties demanded a level playing field and streamlining of the security cover of politicians. “We have asked for a security review of politicians so that they can carry out their activities normally,” the CEC said adding, “We will ensure no polling both is clubbed except a few for geographical reasons.”