MHA providing security to conduct polls in J&K: Chief Electoral Officer

Jammu, Aug 24: PK Pole, Chief Electoral Officer, Jammu and Kashmir said on Saturday that the Ministry of Home Affairs is providing security to conduct the upcoming Assembly elections in Union Territory.

Pole said that this decision has been taken by the home ministry given the security challenges in the Jammu and Kashmir region, and to carry out a peaceful election process.

“There have been security challenges in Jammu and Kashmir over the last 2-3 decades. There has been a reduction (in terror incidents) in recent years. It is an on-and-off situation. We have worked out detailed security arrangements. For candidates, political parties, our RO officials, observers, strong rooms, all this was taken up with the Ministry of Home Affairs and accordingly, security is being provided,” Pole told ANI.

He was speaking on the security arrangements for the upcoming polls in Jammu and Kashmir

He said the Lok Sabha elections were conducted peacefully. “There will be no political violence. We are fully prepared (for any kind of situation.)”

When asked about the extra deployment of forces at polling stations in Doda given the recent incidents of terrorism, he said, “In areas where the activities of anti-national elements have increased recently, we provide additional security there and have also activated Village Defence Committees. So overall, it seems that there will be peaceful elections.”

Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1. The results will be announced on October 4.

Ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, the Congress and the National Conference announced a pre-poll alliance and said that “they have reached a consensus on most of the seats.”

The Congress and the NC had fought the Lok Sabha elections in alliance with each other. The National Conference won two seats – Anantnag and Srinagar. The Congress could not win any seat.

24 Assembly seats will go to polls in the first phase on September 18.

The seats, that will go to polls in the first phase, are Pampore, Tral, Ulwama, Rajpora, Zainapora, Shopian, D H Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigufwara-Bijbehara, Shangus-Anantnag East, Pahalgam, Inderwal, Kishtwar, Padder-Nagseni, Bhadarwah, Doda, Doda West, Ramban, and Banihal.

A total of 90 assembly constituencies will go to the polls in Jammu and Kashmir. The last assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir was held in 2014. The counting will take place on October 4.