An Election Commission of India (ECI) team led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, began reviewing preparedness for the upcoming Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.
The team will gather feedback from political parties and assess the situation on the ground.
The ECI team arrived in Jammu and Kashmir this morning and is scheduled to meet with representatives of various political parties at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).
Invitations were sent out by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir earlier this week.
Representatives from major political parties, including the National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), BJP, Congress, and Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party, have been allotted specific time slots to meet the ECI team.
Senior officials from the police and civil administration, including J-K Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole, are also present at the SKICC.
The review comes weeks before the Supreme Court’s September 30 deadline for holding elections in the Union Territory.
Kumar, accompanied by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, will also review preparations with election officers, police superintendents, the chief secretary, and the director general of police.
The three-day visit will conclude on August 10 in Jammu. During this time, the ECI will conduct a review meeting with enforcement agencies and hold a press conference to brief the media on the review process.
Earlier in March, Kumar, the then sole member of the three-member Commission, visited the Union Territory and assured political parties and residents that elections would be held soon.
At that time, the two posts of Election Commissioners were vacant but have since been filled.
Following a record turnout in the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Kumar stated, “This active participation is a huge positive for Assembly elections to be held soon so that the democratic process continues to thrive in the Union Territory.”
In addition to meeting with political parties, the Commission will review the situation with the chief electoral officer and the central forces coordinator to ensure comprehensive preparedness for the elections.
Jammu and Kashmir has been without elected representatives since 2018, following the collapse of the BJP-PDP alliance, which led to governor’s rule and the subsequent revocation of Article 370 in August 2019.
The upcoming elections will be a significant political event, especially after the recent successful conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections.
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