ECI to arrive tommorrow to evaluate J&K poll readiness before SC deadline

SRINAGAR — The Election Commission will arrive in Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow to assess the readiness for the upcoming assembly elections.

As per the details, the Election Commission of India (ECI), led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, will begin their two-day J&K visit tomorrow, just weeks before the Supreme Court’s September 30 deadline for holding elections in the Union Territory.

The commission will depart from Delhi at 08:00 AM and will arrive at Srinagar at 10:00 AM. The Commission will first meet with political parties at 11:15 AM and Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police at 02:00 PM.

At 07:00 PM, the Commission will hold discussions with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Special Police Nodal Officer (SPNO), and the Central Forces coordinator to review preparations.

It further stated that the Commission will evaluate the preparations with the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) at 09:00 AM on August 9.

The Commission will travel to Jammu at 11:40 AM for a review meeting with enforcement agencies at 01:00 PM, followed by a press conference to update the media on the election preparations at 02:30 PM. The Commission will depart for Delhi at 04:40 PM and will arrive back at Delhi at 06:15 PM.

In March, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, during his visit to Kashmir ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, assured political parties and the public that the poll panel would soon conduct assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Following the record voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir during the Lok Sabha elections, CEO Rajiv Kumar stated that this active participation is a positive sign for the upcoming assembly elections, ensuring the democratic process thrives in the Union Territory.

The assembly elections, whenever they occur, will be the first since the abrogation of Article 370 and the division of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories in 2019.

In December 2023, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to conduct assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30.

On July 31, the Election Commission instructed the Union Territory administration to transfer officers posted in their home districts, a standard procedure before conducting elections.