The Impressive TimesSrinagar August 11 2024 : Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha stated that the Election Commission (EC) has the exclusive authority to determine the schedule for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. He expressed hope for the elections to be conducted promptly, citing commitments from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
During a press briefing after inaugurating the new building of the Malaviya Mission Teachers Training Centre at the University of Jammu, LG Sinha reiterated that the timing of the Assembly elections falls under the purview of the Election Commission. He noted that Jammu and Kashmir has been under central government administration for over six years since the fall of the PDP-BJP government in 2018.
Sinha referred to Prime Minister Modi’s June visit to Srinagar, where Modi indicated that Assembly elections would be held soon, and Home Minister Shah’s August 5, 2019, statement in Parliament about delimitation followed by Assembly polls and statehood at an appropriate time. Sinha emphasized, “It is happening in the same sequence… I hope the Assembly elections will take place soon.”
The Lieutenant Governor also mentioned the recent two-day visit by the Election Commission’s full team to Jammu and Kashmir. The team met with political parties, administration officials, and other stakeholders before returning to Delhi. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar noted that the EC has completed its review and will assess security requirements in Delhi after the Amarnath Yatra concludes on August 19, prior to announcing the election dates.
This visit by the three-member EC team, led by Kumar, marks a significant step in preparing for the first Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. The EC’s activities come in advance of the September 30 deadline set by the Supreme Court for completing the Assembly elections in the region.
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