ECI to discuss J&K Assembly polls in Delhi today

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has called a high-level meeting in New Delhi on Friday to discuss possibilities of holding Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, which is presently under the President’s rule. 

An official told Greater Kashmir that the State’s ChiefSecretary BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Electoral Officer Shailendra Kumar, DirectorGeneral of Police, Dilbag Singh and Home Secretary Shaleen Kabra would meet theECI team to discuss the “feasible time” to conduct Assembly elections in thestate.

   

“The ECI would seek their feedback on different poll-relatedissues and options given by its special observers before taking a final call onthe matter,” the source said.

The meeting is taking place eight days after the specialobservers, appointed by the ECI to asses the ground situation, submitted theirreport.

When contacted the ECI spokesman Sheyphali Sharan said thereport of observers is under examination. 

In their report, the observers have given three options tohold Assembly polls in the state, which is without an elected government forthe past 10 months.

The source said the first option given by the observers isto hold elections between 8 June to 24 June, another alternative is to conductthe elections from 15 May to 15 June. The third option is to hold Assemblypolls after 15 September.

The ECI had appointed Noor Muhammad (former IAS officer),Vinod Zutshi ( ex-IAS officer) and A S Gill (retired IPS officer) as specialobservers to assess the situation in the state. Immediately after theirappointment, the observers visited the state. They held meetings withrepresentatives of political parties, government officials and otherstakeholders during their five-day stay in the state.

The observers submitted their report to the poll-body lastweek.

It may be recalled that the state had plunged into apolitical crisis on 19 June last year after the Mehbooba Mufti-led coalitiongovernment collapsed following withdrawal of support by the BJP in the state.

Since the state has a separate Constitution, in such cases,the state came under Governor’s rule. On 21 November, the State Assembly wasdissolved after Peoples Democratic Party and Peoples Conference staked separateclaims to form a government in the state. After six-month period of Governor’srule ended, J&K was placed directly under President’s rule.  

As per Supreme Court ruling, the ECI has to initiate stepsfor conducting of elections within six months in case of premature dissolutionof Assembly. So in case of J&K, the ECI has to initiate steps for holdingAssembly polls before 20 May.

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