The Election Commission is set to meet with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Wednesday to assess the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, sources have confirmed.
In December 2023, the Supreme Court directed the central government to complete the election process in the Union Territory by September 30, 2024. Should elections be held before this deadline, it would mark the first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir in a decade. The last assembly election occurred in 2014, and the PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed in June 2018 when the BJP withdrew support from then-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar recently led a delegation to review the election preparations in Jammu and Kashmir. During a press conference in Jammu, Kumar reiterated the Commission’s commitment to holding elections “at the earliest.” He emphasized that no external or internal forces would disrupt the electoral process and noted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would respond strongly to any attempts to interfere.
Kumar also highlighted that all political parties in the region are advocating for the prompt conduct of assembly elections. He noted that the successful Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir were praised by national and recognized parties for their high participation and lack of violence, which had bolstered public confidence.
The Chief Election Commissioner mentioned that all parties, with a few exceptions, have requested a level playing field for the elections and equal security for political functionaries. He indicated that there had been a review of security measures, with some upgrades and downgrades, and stressed the need for consistent security to ensure political activities can be conducted without fear.
Jammu and Kashmir has a total of 90 assembly constituencies, including 74 General, nine reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and seven for Scheduled Castes (SC). The voter base includes 87.09 lakh electors, comprising 44.46 lakh males, 42.62 lakh females, 169 transgender individuals, 82,590 persons with disabilities, 73,943 very senior citizens, 2,660 centenarians, 76,092 service electors, and 3.71 lakh first-time voters.
