J&K Polls Will Be Held At ‘Right Time’: EC

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar with Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, and others during a press conference for the announcement of schedule of Assembly elections in Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, in New Delhi, Monday – PTI Photo

New Delhi- The Election Commission of India (ECI) Monday announced the schedule for assembly elections in five states but skipped Jammu and Kashmir again.

Announcing the poll dates for five states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana, the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told reporters that the polls in J&K will be held at the right time depending on the security situation prevailing there.

However, the ECI didn’t clarify when asked about reasons that are holding the ECI back in announcing Assembly polls in J&K.

Jammu and Kashmir has been under Central rule since June 2018 following the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition.

On August 5, 2019, the Central government abrogated Article 370 and Article 35A and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh. While J&K will have a legislature, Ladakh was carved out as a UT without a legislature.

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Announcing the decision Union Home Minister Amit Shah had stated in Parliament that statehood would be restored to Jammu and Kashmir after the completion of the delimitation exercise and elections.

Delimitation and revision of electoral rolls were completed in 2022, but the elections continue to be postponed. The last Assembly elections in J&K were held in 2014.
On March 6, National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah led a delegation of all political parties from J&K to the Election Commission of India, asking it to fulfill its constitutional obligation to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest.

Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram will go to polls on different days from November 7-30 and votes will be counted for the five states on December 3, the Election Commission said, setting the stage for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls semi-finals.

This will be the last set of assembly elections ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year.

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