ECI considering simultaneous Lok Sabha, Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir

The last assembly election in the state was held in 2014, when PDP-BJP coalition formed the government.

Without an elected government since June 2018, the long wait for Jammu and Kashmir seems to have come to an end as the Election Commission of India (ECI) is considering holding simultaneous assembly and parliamentary polls.

A team from the poll body, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, is on a three-day visit to the Union Territory. On March 12, ECI officials held meetings with politicians, deputy commissioners, and district police chiefs at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar.

The ECI team asked civil administration officials about their preparations for the upcoming elections and the possibility of holding polls together, according to sources.

Read: Opposition leaders meet EC, seek early polls in Jammu and Kashmir

A specific emphasis on improving electoral education, organising awareness initiatives in academic settings, and tackling logistical obstacles, such as connectivity issues at polling stations, along with arranging transportation for electoral equipment and polling personnel, sources added.

Meanwhile, the district police chiefs, top police officers of the Kashmir region were asked about the security scenario on the ground, with a special focus on law and order, as well as the requirement of paramilitary troops for both polls.

The ECI team interacted with political leaders who had various demands, the most common being the holding of assembly elections in the Union Territory.

“Four leaders from our party, including Sakina Itoo, Ajay Sadhotra, Nasir Aslam Wani, and Rattan Lal Gupta, met with the ECI team in Srinagar. Our leaders apprised them of the ground situation and demanded simultaneous polls in J&K,” said National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar.

Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since June 2018 when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) broke its alliance with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), forcing Mehbooba Mufti to resign as chief minister.

Read more: PM Modi's Kashmir visit brings back focus on state assembly polls

The state was then headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik, who dissolved the J&K Legislative Assembly on November 28, 2018, shortly after Mehbooba Mufti staked her claim to form a government with the support of the Congress and the National Conference (NC).

On December 11, the Supreme Court, while upholding the abrogation of Article 370, directed the Central government to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024, and to restore statehood at the earliest.

A top officer in the Jammu and Kashmir administration also confirmed that ECI is considering both polls as a high priority and will discuss with the Centre accordingly.

“Following the Apex Court’s decision, holding Lok Sabha polls and assembly polls together is the only feasible window. The UT administration has submitted that there will be the Amarnath Yatra from July onwards till August, and time would be limited to mobilise security apparatus and poll machinery to meet the deadline of September 30,” said the officer anonymously."