Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioners Janesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu announce the schedule for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana at a press conference in New Delhi . (Image source: PTI)
Rajiv Kumar said there was a need to “follow the spirit” and said polling in Jammu and Kashmir would start and end on time.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Friday clarified why the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election schedule was postponed to the Supreme Court-imposed September 30 deadline while announcing the dates for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly elections .
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced that three-phase assembly elections will be held in JK from September 18 after ten years, laying the foundation for the people of the Union Territory to elect a government after the abrogation of Article 370 in India. .
“The Amarnath Yatra will end on August 19 and the final voters' list will be released on August 20. This shows the commitment of holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir,” Kumar said.
Asked about the delay, Kumar said: “It is not possible to go exactly on August 19. It was held within the stipulated time and it will be completed on time.”
The parliamentary polls in the federal territories will be held in three phases, with voting on September 18, September 25 and October 1 respectively.
“The important thing is not to be here today. The important thing is (here) that we act in spirit. “The amendments to the J&K Reorganization Act in terms of providing reservations were made in December 2023. The committee's deadline is from December 2023 It just started in October. Then there are the parliamentary elections, so we are not delaying at all,” he said.
Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday welcomed the three-phase assembly elections announced by the Election Commission as marking an important step towards restoring democracy in the region after six years of central rule.
National Conference Chairman Dr Farooq Abdullah expressed gratitude to the Election Commission for expediting the voting process.
Commenting on the long wait for the announcement, former state chief minister Omar Abdullah said, “Better late than never.” He noted that this election cycle may be the first since 1987-88 This is the first time since the election was held in such a short period of time.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary GA Mir appreciated the EC's decision and noted that it reflected the public's desire for an elected government.
Itija Mufti, a prominent leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and daughter of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, also welcomed the EC's statement.
Senior CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami welcomed the EC's announcement, acknowledging the importance of a democratic process that ensures fairness and security for all participants.
Jammu and Kashmir People's Party president Ravinder Raina expressed his gratitude to the Election Commission and highlighted the party's preparations for the elections and called on citizens to actively participate.
The last parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held in November 2014, resulting in the People's Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party forming a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammad Saeed.
After his death in 2016, Mehbooba Mufti took over as chief minister in the coalition government.
The BJP quit the government in June 2018 and the state is ruled by the Governor. The state parliament was dissolved in 2018.
On August 5, 2019, the Center abrogated Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated and downgraded the erstwhile state into two union territories – Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
