EC’s J&K Visit: Will Poll Body Announce LS, Assembly Polls Together?

Jammu: The full-Election Commission of India (ECI) is all set to visit Jammu & Kashmir on March 12 and 13 and all eyes would be on it if elections to Lok Sabha as well as assembly are held together in the UT.
Reports said that the EC comprising Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners would visit J&K on March 12 and 13 to review preparedness for polls to be held in April and May.
During its visit to J&K, the poll panel is expected to meet different stakeholders including political parties and officials from civil administration and police.
The poll-panel could also asses’ feasibility for holding Assembly polls in J&K in view of the deadline set-up by the Supreme Court.
On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court had directed the Election Commission of India to hold J&K Assembly polls by September 30, 2024.
Jammu & Kashmir is without any elected government since June 19, 2018 when BJP withdrew support to Mehbooba Mufti-led government, citing deteriorating security situation in the erstwhile state.
It is worthwhile to mention that the Election Commission of India has approved 635 companies of paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir and 57 in Ladakh for conduct of polls for six Lok Sabha seats in the two Union Territories carved out of the erstwhile state of J&K
ECI teams have so far visited several states and held meetings with the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) to take stock of the poll preparedness there.
J&K is last on ECI’s schedule to visit different states to take a first-hand view of the situation and issue necessary directions. It is thus believed that the Commission would announce the poll schedule soon after its return from J&K.
It may be recalled that the schedule for the seven-phase 2019 Lok Sabha elections was announced on March 10, while the dates for the nine-phase 2014 parliamentary polls had been announced on March 5.
Nearly 97 crore Indians will be eligible to vote in this year’s Lok Sabha elections. The electoral rolls were published in all the states/UTs across the country in early February after the months-long intensive Special Summary Revision 2024.
Several states such as Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh will hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

Election, Kashmir 370