Election Commission team’s J&K visit begins today, local leaders hope for timely Assembly poll

Adil Akhzer

Srinagar, August 7

A team of the Election Commission of India (ECI), headed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, is set to arrive in Srinagar on Thursday morning to review preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections in the UT.

The ECI team will meet representatives from various political parties and hold crucial meetings as the Supreme Court’s deadline to hold Assembly elections is approaching. Leaders from several political parties also said that they were looking forward to meeting the team on Thursday.

In December last year, the Supreme Court had directed the ECI to hold the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy also stated on Monday that the Assembly elections in the UT would be held in September.

Ghulam Nabi Monga, a senior leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, told The Tribune that the Congress leaders were scheduled to meet the ECI team at 10.30 am on Thursday. “We will tell the ECI officials that elections should be held on time before the Supreme Court deadline,” he said.

Prince Parvaiz Shah, a leader from the party headed by jailed political leader Engineer Rashid, said the party representatives are also expected to meet the visiting team on Thursday.

Top sources in the administration said there had been a minor change in the visit, and the officers would now conclude the UT visit in two days. A senior official said several meetings were lined up in the Valley, before the ECI officials travel to Jammu, where they are expected to hold a press conference and also hold a meeting with security agencies on Friday.

“The visiting team has separate meetings scheduled with DCs, SPs, top officials of the administration and state election officials,” the official added.

Even though many leaders are saying they are not sure if elections would be held on time before the SC deadline, both political parties and the administration have started preparations for the elections.

The authorities are also conducting a special summary roll revision, the exercise which would complete on August 9, according to the officials.

National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday had welcomed the ECI visit, hoping that the commission would announce the much-awaited Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

In another indication that polls are likely to be held soon, the Chief Electoral Officer of the UT invited proposals for hiring two helicopters for the duration between September and November for the Assembly elections earlier this week.