Jammu: Expressing concern over the political vacuum in Jammu and Kashmir due to absence of assembly elections, Elections Commission of India on Wednesday said it will hold assembly elections in the union territory after reviewing the security situation and other factors.
Chief Election Commissioner of India Rajiv Kumar said ECI will take a decision on holding assembly elections after thorough consultations with security agencies. Kumar assured the public that despite the challenges, elections would be conducted soon without significant delays.
"We are concerned about Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in J&K. The majority of political parties we met in Srinagar and Jammu demanded that Assembly and Lok Sabha polls be held simultaneously," Kumar said in a press conference in Jammu. Highlighting the commitment to a peaceful electoral process, Kumar affirmed,: "There will be free and fair parliament polls in J&K."
He said that there was no delay from ECI in holding assembly elections but it was delayed due to implementation of reservations under Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, delimitation of assembly constituencies. About the sharing of details about Electoral Bonds by State Bank of India, he said that transparency and disclosure remain the priorities of the commission.
"The State Bank of India per the Supreme Court directions has submitted the details of the Electoral Bonds with the commission. I will share the data with the public," he said.
Kumar along with the nine other ECI officials were on two days visit of Jammu and Kashmir to review preparations for upcoming parliament elections on the five seats if the UT. During the visit they met political parties representatives, officials and security agencies. Kumar said that there are 8,906,300 registered voters in Jammu and Kashmir, evenly distributed between male and female voters.
He said that 11,629 polling stations will be set up including special booths for vulnerable groups for ensuring accessibility and assistance for voting. To combat illegal attempts to influence voters, the commission has developed a mobile app with detailed candidate information. Kumar warned against bribery attempts, emphasizing strict surveillance at borders, airports, and roads.
"District magistrates and SSPs have been instructed to provide equal opportunities for all political parties, with stringent action against complaints. Security measures are in place to ensure the safety of candidates," he said.
The CEC urged the Kashmiri Pandit community to actively participate, ensuring the establishment of special polling stations. Regarding the denial of permission for Panthers Party representatives to meet ECI, Kumar cited an ongoing dispute within the party, assuring transparency once the internal conflict of the party is resolved.
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