Virtual meeting For Assembly Polls scheduled with DCs on July 10
Srinagar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is intensifying preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, amidst a crucial review of electoral roll revisions and pre-election arrangements.
Scheduled for July 10, a virtual meeting with Deputy Commissioners aims to address key logistical and security considerations ahead of the mandated September deadline set by the Supreme Court. A senior official at the CEO’s office in Kashmir said that preparations for the Assembly elections in J&K have commenced, with an important meeting scheduled with all DCs along with the CEO on July 10. He said that primary agenda will be to review various pre-Assembly election issues, focusing notably on the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls set for publication on August 20. It will be attended by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) PK Pole and other senior officials from 2 PM to 3 PM. According to a Supreme Court directive issued on December 11, 2023, Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir must be conducted before September 30. Additionally, there are indications that the Election Commission may visit all four election-bound States/UTs: Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra.
The decision-making process regarding the timing of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will depend on factors such as the security situation and reports from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the UT administration. On June 20, the poll-body had ordered a special summary revision of electoral rolls in Jammu & Kashmir. On December 11 last year, the Supreme Court had directed the Election Commission of India to hold assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir by September 30. On June 20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that preparations have begun for assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) spokesperson informed Kashmir Horizon that following the successful completion of the General Election to the 18th Lok Sabha, preparations have commenced for the legislative assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). “Constitution of a new house after delimitation of constituencies is also underway. The Commission has noted the significant participation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the recently concluded Lok Sabha Elections and has directed the updation of electoral rolls in the UT of J&K with July 1, 2024 as the qualifying date,” he stated. Referring to remarks made by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar in a recent press conference, the spokesperson highlighted, the enthusiastic participation in the Lok Sabha elections by the people of J&K is inspiring, underscoring their eagerness to engage in democracy. “ It is crucial for the people to maintain peace and unity, fulfilling their aspirations and shaping their future governance. The Commission is committed to facilitating this process and will soon initiate the Assembly election process in J&K,” he said. Meanwhile, the Commission maintains an intensive focus on ensuring inclusivity, accuracy, and integrity of electoral rolls, aiming to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries as much as possible. The Spokesman said that the Commission urges all eligible citizens who have not yet enrolled to come forward and register themselves in the electoral roll to exercise their voting rights in the forthcoming elections.
Meanwhile various political parties have begun strategizing and preparing for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, focusing on strengthening their organizational structures and public outreach efforts.
The National Conference (NC) convened a two-day marathon meeting in Srinagar, marking its first major gathering since its noteworthy performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. During the meeting, discussions centered around formulating the party’s manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, implementing structural changes to bolster public outreach efforts, and addressing the issue of incarcerated youth. Approximately 60 leaders from across J&K participated in the deliberations, engaging with the party’s top leadership, including president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah. The NC operates with a multi-tier system that includes district-level delegates, district-level leadership, and central leadership roles. Ahead of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, overseeing the poll-bound state, along with state in-charge Tarun Chugh, chaired the first day of BJP’s two-day executive committee meeting on Friday. Over 2,000 representatives, including party MP Jugal Kishore, J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina, and co-in-charge Ashish Sood, are participating in the meeting. J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina told Kashmir Horizon that in addition to strategizing for the assembly polls, the meeting is discussing future BJP programs. ” BJP National President JP Nadda, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, and several other senior BJP leaders are expected to visit Jammu on Saturday,” he said. Raina said that BJP President JP Nadda and other leaders are visiting Jammu to evaluate the party’s activities and strategize for the upcoming elections. Nadda is slated to address the BJP’s executive meeting on Saturday, where he will emphasize the election strategy aimed at ensuring BJP’s success. Raina reiterated the party’s objective of establishing a BJP-led government in Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari asked his party leaders to gear up for the assembly election campaign. Addressing a provincial level party meeting, he reviewed the preparedness of the party ahead of proposed assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was attended by Provincial President, Jammu, S Manjit Singh, all the senior leadership from across the region, all district presidents, and frontal heads. Bukhari directed the party leaders to speed-up the public outreach programme and educate people about the policy, and programmes of the party that would be implemented if the party forms the government in Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held a meeting in Jammu to chalk out its action plan in preparation for the Assembly Elections, supposed to be held before the end of September this year. The meeting, chaired by PDP vice-president Abdul Hameed Choudhary at Gandhi Nagar party headquarters, was primarily convened to gear up and strengthen the party cadres in Jammu region ahead of the assembly elections, party spokesperson Variender Singh Sonu said. He said PDP general secretary Amrik Singh Reen, party additional general secretary Satpal Singh Charak, Jammu women wing president Surjit Kaur, district president Jammu Sohit Sharma and senior leaders Vijaya Dogra, Choudhary Chuni Lal and K K Sharma among others attended the meeting. The meeting discussed in detail the party’s preparations for the upcoming assembly elections and the action plan to strengthen the party at the grass-roots level across the Jammu region, the PDP spokesperson said.
