Bhat Yasir
The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Friday, announced the polls for Jammu Kashmir’s assembly.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the ECI said,”The First phase will be held on 18 september and the elections will be held in three phases.”
Assembly poll in J&K will be held in three phases, with voting on Sep 18, Sep 25, and Oct 1, Election Commision of India said, adding, “The counting of votes on October 4.”
The Election Commission of Jammu and Kashmir has announced the schedule for the upcoming elections, which will take place in three distinct phases. The elections are set to be conducted in a phased manner across different regions of the union territory.
The first phase of polling is scheduled for September 18th and will cover several key districts, including Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam, Ramban, Kishtwar, and Doda. These areas are primarily in the southern and central parts of Kashmir and the Chenab Valley, where preparations are underway to ensure a smooth and secure voting process.
The second phase, set for September 25th, will focus on the northern and central districts of Ganderbal, Srinagar, and Budgam in the Kashmir Valley, as well as the border districts of Poonch, Reasi, and Rajouri in the Jammu region.
Finally, the third phase is scheduled for October 1st and will cover the remaining districts, including Bandipora, Kupwara, and Baramulla in North Kashmir, alongside Udhampur, Jammu, Samba, and Kathua in the Jammu region.
The Election Commission has expressed its commitment to ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections across all phases, with security measures being heightened in sensitive regions. Voters are encouraged to participate actively in the democratic process, contributing to the future governance of Jammu and Kashmir.
The last time Jammu Kashmir has assembly polls was in the year 2014 with the polls being held in five phases from 25 November – 20 December 2014. The People’s Democratic Party formed the government with the Bhartiya Janta Party in the state assembly.
Down the years, the relationship between the coalition partners worsened over various issues and on June 19, 2018, the Bhartiya Janta Party pulled off support from PDP and the state government fell.
One month ahead of the legal timeframe, the then governor, Satyapal Malik illegally dissolved the assembly in November 2018. Despite the regional parties having expressed their interest in forming the government with required numbers, the governor did not wait, he went on to dissolve the Jammu Kashmir assembly.
Months later in August 2019, the central government led by BJP abrogated the articles 35a and 370 and bifurcated in the state into two federally ruled union territories.
Though post abrogation, the BJP promised elections in the region, the party formed a delimitation commision which increased six seats in Jammu and one in Kashmir valley. The commission also withdrew the boundaries of the both the assembly and parliamentary constituencies, a decision that evoked widespread criticism. A petition was also filed in the supereme court against the delimitation which had been frozen country-wide till 2026.
Regional parties from Jammu Kashmir have been demanding election since then, however, their demands were not paid heed to.
The Supreme court of India intervened into the matter and ordered the central government to conduct elections in Jammu Kashmir by September 30, 2024.