Impressed by the overall voter turnout in the Jammu and Kashmir Lok Sabha elections, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday that the commission will "very soon" begin the process of conducting assembly elections in the Union Territory.
While responding to a query on voter turnout in various Jammu and Kashmir seats and whether assembly elections were likely to be held soon the CEC, who cast his vote at a booth in Delhi, said that the poll panel was pleased with people's engagement in the parliamentary elections.
"It's music to my ears. People — particularly young women — are enthusiastically voting. "The roots of democracy are being strengthened, and people are participating," he said.
"They deserved their government. We will start that procedure soon. We are very encouraged to do this," the CEC said.
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held for the first time following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019 and the split of the state into two Union Territories.
In December, the Supreme Court had ordered the poll panel to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30.
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