New Delhi/Srinagar: The Election Commission is likely to announce the dates and schedule for holding much-delayed assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir following its two-day visit to the union territory and a subsequent meeting with the security agencies and the Home Secretary.
ECI will address a press conference in New Delhi today at 3 PM, ECI said in its invitation to the media, where, sources said it is going to announce poll-schedule for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.
The press conference follows after Chief Election Commissioner of India Rajiv Kumar and his two Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu held meetings with political parties and Deputy Commissioners and police officials in Srinagar and Jammu.
The ECI on Wednesday held a meeting with Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla where it demanded adequate security for the contesting candidates and during the polls. ECI has sought more than 15,000 security personnel for deployment for the security of the contesting candidates.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar in a press conference in Jammu had said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will soon elect their representatives. The ECI's visit was in the backdrop of the Supreme Court deadline of September 30 where the apex court had directed the Centre to hold elections before September 30, 2024.
Jammu and Kashmir is without an elected government from June 2018 when the last elected government of PDP-BJP ended after the BJP withdrew its support to Mehbooba Mufti. President's rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir for six months which was later extended after the BJP-led government abrogated Article 370 and divided Jammu and Kashmir into two UTs. From August 5, 2019, JK is administered by an LG and his lone advisor.
Political parties have been demanding the holding of assembly elections while people also seek elected representatives so that their issues are addressed.
According to the ECI, Jammu and Kashmir has a total electorate of 87.09 lakh, comprising 44.46 lakh men, 42.62 lakh women, 169 transgender individuals, 82,590 persons with disabilities, 73,943 senior citizens, 2,660 centenarians, 76,092 service voters, and 3.71 lakh first-time voters. The region is divided into 90 assembly constituencies – 74 general, nine reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and seven for Scheduled Castes (SC). There are 11,838 polling stations across 9,169 locations, including 26 special polling stations in Delhi, Jammu, and Udhampur for Kashmiri migrants.
