Srinagar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is scheduled to hold a comprehensive review to assess the possibility of simultaneous conduct of Assembly elections along with Parliamentary polls in Jammu and Kashmir during its two-day visit to the Union Territory on March 12 and 13, Deccan Herald reported.
Quoting sources the DH reported that though such a possibility is remote, the full commission is meeting with top officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi on March 8 and 9 ahead of their JK visit.
“The high-level meeting has been scheduled to review the overall security requirements and paramilitary deployment options for the Lok Sabha and assembly. Sources said that this meeting will be key to determining whether both the polls could be held simultaneously,” sources said.
A senior officer in the JK administration highlighted that holding assembly polls in J&K would require heavier security arrangements compared to parliamentary polls due to factors like providing security cover to each contesting candidate.
In the past, the assessment by the MHA revealed a need for over 800 paramilitary forces for JK alone, which was ruled out at the time. The ECI panel plans to engage with various stakeholders, including politicians and law enforcement officials, to gather perspectives on holding assembly elections.
The Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners will meet with district election officers and SSPs to assess the security situation, particularly in the Valley. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since June 19, 2018, following the withdrawal of support by the BJP.
After visiting Jammu and Kashmir on March 12 and 13, the ECI is expected to announce the schedule for Lok Sabha elections, with a decision on simultaneous Assembly polls to follow.
