Jammu and Kashmir: ECI team to hold meetings with political parties and administration before Lok Sabha elections

A team from the Election Commission of India (ECI) led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar has arrived in J&K to hold discussions with political parties and the administration ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The visit aims to assess the feasibility of holding assembly elections simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections in the region.

The 9-member team of ECI, including the CEC, began their 2-day visit to J&K on Tuesday. Political parties such as the National Conference (NC), Congress, and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will meet the ECI team to push for simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls in J&K.

While the BJP has stated that the decision should be left to the ECI, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has decided not to meet the team, citing security concerns for their leaders. The Supreme Court’s constitutional bench has directed the Central government to conduct assembly elections in J&K by September 30, 2024.

The ECI team will also hold meetings with top officials in J&K, including the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), ADGPs, divisional commissioners, district development commissioners, and SSPs to assess the ground situation. They will evaluate whether the assembly elections can be scheduled alongside the Lok Sabha polls in the region.

J&K has five Lok Sabha seats and 90 assembly seats, increased from 87 by the Delimitation Commission. The ECI team will visit the Jammu division before returning to Delhi. The team comprises Deputy Election Commissioners, Directors, and the Secretary of the Commission. The discussions and assessments conducted during this visit will play a crucial role in shaping the electoral landscape of J&K.