Dinesh Manhotra

The J&K election department has submitted its report to the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding preparations for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state. The ECI will take the final decision on holding the polls in the state.

“We have submitted our report. Our job is to inform the commission about our preparations. The final decision on holding the elections will be taken by the ECI,” Shalinder Kumar, chief electoral officer (CEO), J&K, told, The Tribune.

He was in New Delhi for a two-day meeting of all CEOs of the country to review preparations for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

All deputy commissioners of J&K had already submitted details of the returning officers and assistant returning officers to the CEO in December on the directions of the CEO.

In the last week of December, the state government had constituted panels at the divisional and district levels to explore the possibilities of holding the general and Assembly elections simultaneously.

The election department has also completed the process of special summary revision of electoral rolls in the state.

The Assembly was dissolved on November 21 after having been kept in suspended animation for nearly five months following the collapse of the PDP-BJP on June 19. After six months of Governor’s rule, President’s rule was imposed in J&K on December 20.

Centre’s take

• During a debate on the imposition of President’s rule in J&K, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament on January 3 that the Centre had no objection if the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in J&K were held simultaneously. He had said that the Centre would provide all security arrangements required for holding the elections
• On January 11, Governor Satya Pal Malik said the administration was ready for the Assembly elections in the state and a call in this direction should be taken by the ECI and New Delhi

Courtesy:The Tribune,Jan14,2019