Election Commission of India (ECI) Monday said it will inform about holding Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir at the right time keeping in view the security and other elections that are also due.
Replying to a query about J&K polls during the presser about elections in five states of India, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said: “We will inform about holding Assembly polls in J&K at the right time keeping in view the security and other elections that also due in the (UT).”
ECI announced dates of polls for five states—Chattisgrah, Mizoram, Madhaya Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan. Elections will start on November 7 and counting will be done on December 5.
Pertinently, J & K has been under president’s rule since August 5, 2019 when Centre scrapped Article 370 and sliced the erstwhile State into two Union Territories—J&K and Ladakh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has stated on the floor of the parliament that Statehood will be restored to J&K once the situation comes to normal. As per KNO, the last Assembly elections in J&K were held in 2014.
Many political parties including National Conference, Congress and J&K Apni Party have been vociferously demanding the restoration of statehood to J&K forthwith so that elections are held in the UT—(KNO)