CEC Rajiv Kumar Leads A Significant Review Of Election Preparations In J&K

Srinagar : The Election Commission of India (ECI), led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. SS Sandhu, began a crucial two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to assess the preparations for the upcoming Assembly Elections in the Union Territory. This visit highlights the ECI’s firm dedication to ensuring a smooth and transparent electoral process in the region.
The first day involved extensive discussions with a broad range of stakeholders, including representatives from national and state-recognized political parties, to gather their insights and address concerns, thereby encouraging their active participation in the electoral process. The ECI also reviewed poll preparations with District Election Officers and Superintendents of Police, focusing on the essential administrative and security measures needed for the elections.
Later, an evening session was held with the Chief Electoral Officer, the Special Police Nodal Officer, and the Central Police Forces Nodal Officer to ensure effective coordination among the various agencies responsible for election management. On August 9, the visit will conclude with a final meeting with the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police. The ECI team will then proceed to Jammu to review enforcement agencies’ roles before concluding with a press conference. Several top officials from civil and police administration also met delegates of ECI. It includes Divisional commissioner Kashmir, deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police.
Meanwhile immediate assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir was the dominant demand of all political leaders from the Union Territory who met the visiting Election Commission (EC) team here on Thursday. The team led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar arrived here in the morning and met with representatives of registered political parties, including the National Conference (NC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party (JKPP), at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC). The EC delegation also comprising election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu was here on a three-day visit to review the preparedness for assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and take feedback from political parties.
Talking to reporters after party-wise meetings with the poll panel’s delegation, political leaders said they were unanimous in their demand for immediate assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir. They also demanded that a level-playing field in the polls should be ensured for restoration of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit batted for immediate assembly elections. Its spokesperson R S Pathania said, “We told the EC that we want elections to be conducted as soon as possible.” The party wants the elections to be held within the Supreme Court’s deadline, he said.
NC Kashmir provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani, who led a five-member party delegation, said the NC demanded immediate assembly elections. “Our only demand is that the people of J&K now want to have their own government. We told the EC that you came here many times and we met you but now there should be some definite decision on it,” he told reporters. “We said there has been no government in J&K since 2018 and the assembly elections have not taken place for the last 10 years,” Wani said and added that the NC told the EC that a Lieutenant Governor, his lone advisor and a few bureaucrats cannot run J&K. Political, developmental and security issues can be addressed when the people have their own representatives, he said and added that “they (the EC) have assured us that elections will take place this time”. NC leader Wani said the party also demanded a level-playing field in terms of providing a secure environment for the polls.
Congress leader G N Monga said democracy should flourish in Jammu and Kashmir. “We call ourselves the mother of democracy but the people of J-K are without elections since last many years. Democracy should flourish here and elections should be held sooner,” he told reporters.
Monga said the party delegation also discussed the security scenario in J-K with the EC. “We told them that there is a discrimination between parties on providing them security, so, we appealed that every party should be weighed in the same scale,” he added.
PDP leader Khurshid Alam, who was part of the party’s delegation that met the EC, said people of J-K should have the right to elect their own government. “What justification is there not to hold polls when the government says the situation has improved and is better, when one crore tourists came here, and when the parliamentary polls and (Amarnath) yatra took place without any incident,” he asked. He said the need of the hour is to restore democracy in J-K. “The county believes in democracy, so we should have elections immediately,” the PDP leader said and added that the there was a very positive response from the EC.
The EC team’s visit will culminate on August 10 at Jammu where it will hold a review meeting with law enforcement agencies. It will also hold a press conference.