SRINAGAR: Hinting at holding the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir on the scheduled date, Election Commission of India (ECI) Saturday said that administration here was fully prepared to conduct elections in the State. The Commission however added that the final call in this regard will be taken in New Delhi in coming days.
Addressing a news conference at SKICC, Chief Election Commissioner V.S.Sampat said that commission had threadbare discussions with all the political parties of the state with regard to holding of elections. He said that some political parties are not in favour of holding elections as they feel that this process may hamper the relief and rehabilitation process that is going on in Kashmir for the flood affected people. Sampat added that some political parties want elections in the State on scheduled time.
“The full Election Commission will hold further consultations in Delhi before deciding on the timing for J&K Assembly polls,” CEC said.
While the ruling National Conference told the full commission, which arrived here in the morning, that time was not conducive for polls in view of large scale destruction caused by the floods, coalition partner Congress and opposition parties including PDP have supported holding polls before the end of this year as per schedule.
A new government has to be in place in the state before January 19, when the six year term of the Assembly ends.
Earlier Election Commission of India held threadbare discussions with District Election Officers, Superintendents of Police, representatives of recognized national and regional political parties besides top officials from the police and civil administration on Saturday.
We held meetings with all District Election Officers about the post-flood situation in their respective districts and we also got feedback from political parties and police and civil administration. We had a video conferences and interacted with Deputy Commissioners of all the districts, he said adding that the Commission has collected all the data and final call with regard to holding polls in the State will be taken in New Delhi. Once we will make up our mind, we will announce the dates for the polls, he said.
Chief Election Commission added that Commission will in no way prove an obstacle in the relief and rehabilitation work in the state.
Besides, VS Sampat, the others who were present on the occasion included Election Commissioners, H S Brahma and Nasim Zaid, Chief Electoral Officer Umang Niroula and Secretary Election Commission of India, S.K.Rudola.
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