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| Assembly polls likely in Nov | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Sep 10
Though a final word is yet awaited from the Election Commission of India but reports suggested that elections to Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly are in all possibility likely to be held in the month of November.
The Union Home Ministry is reported to have assured the Election Commission of India of sparing adequate strength of security forces for the exercise whenever the schedule is decided.
After eliciting the views of political parties on the feasibility of October-November assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission today held consultations with Union Home Ministry and state government officials on security arrangements for the exercise.
The Union Home Ministry team, headed by Secretary Madhukar Gupta, is understood conveyed to EC that the situation in the state was not conducive for holding the elections immediately because of violent protests by the separatists on the Amarnath issue.
The full Commission headed by CEC N Gopalaswami, which held a two hour-long meeting with state Chief Secretary S S Kapoor and Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda earlier, asked the Home Ministry officials to come up with appropriate reasons for postponing elections in the state.
The Home Ministry is understood to have sought some more time to give a detailed presentation to the Commission which has been indicating of holding early polls in the state.
Earlier, during the meeting with state officials, the views of Kapoor and Khoda were elicited about the present situation in the state in the aftermath of violent incidents triggered by Amarnath land transfer row.
The state delegation informed the Commission that while the situation in Jammu had returned to normalcy, the situation in the Kashmir valley now is not that volatile as was witnessed last month.
The meetings are a part of exercise being undertaken by the Commission which has to complete the election process by Janyar 10 when the Governor's rule ends in the state. In the normal course, the tenure of the assembly is to expire on November 20.
However, the assembly was dissolved and the Governor's rule imposed following a political crisis in the wake of the Amarnath land row which triggered violence in Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley.
Earlier this week, the EC had held meetings with mainstream and state political parties during which National Conference and PDP were opposed to early elections saying the situation was not conducive for the exercise.
However, BJP and Left parties opposed delay in the holding of the polls while Congress left it to EC to take a call on the timing.
During the last few days, the Commission has been holding meetings with a cross section of people about timing of holding of elections in the state. |
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