J&K Assembly elections will not be held along with Lok Sabha elections. Here’s why.

March 16, 2024 04:57 pm | Updated 05:25 pm IST

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on March 16 stated that the Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir will not be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections due to security issues and legislative hurdles.

The Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases in the Union Territory from April 19 and the results will be announced on June 4.

While answering a question about not holding the Assembly elections in J&K, Mr. Kumar said, “The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was passed in 2019. There was a provision for 107 seats, 24 of which were in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Then the delimitation commission came and there was a change in the seats.... The reorganisation Act and delimitation were not in sync. That happened in December 2023. So our meter started running from December 2023.”

“All parties in Jammu and Kashmir said the Assembly election should be held with the parliamentary polls, but the entire administrative machinery said it cannot be done simultaneously. Every Assembly segment would have 10-12 candidates, which would mean more than 1,000 candidates. Every candidate has to be provided forces. It was not possible at this time,” he added.

“But we stand committed that as soon as these elections are over, we will hold elections there,” he asserted.

Political parties have previously wanted both elections to be held together, Mr. Kumar noted when he visited the UT earlier this week. “Majority of political parties we met in Srinagar and Jammu demanded that Assembly and Lok Sabha polls be held simultaneously. We will take a final call after a thorough security review and consultations with the political parties. We want early Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in J&K,” he said at that time, adding that the ECI was “fully prepared for the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls scheduled to be held this year.”

The team led by Mr. Kumar-led met representatives of national and regional parties in J&K, including BJP, CPI(M), Indian National Congress, National Conference, People’s Democratic Party and J&K Apni Party.

(With PTI inputs)