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| EC maintains suspense | | Poll dates for five states being announced today | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Oct 13: Lack of consensus between members of the Election Commission of India may put elections to Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly off by few months as announcement for five other states –where they are due –is being made tomorrow.
After three days of marathon meetings, the Election Commission has not given any indication of holding or either deferring elections in Jammu and Kashmir. However, reports say that one of the Election Commissioner has a dissent opinion from others as he believed that situation is not ripe for holding elections in this troubled state.
Suspense over assembly polls schedule in six states continued today with the Election Commission said to be still undecided on the timing of the election in Jammu and Kashmir.
The schedule for five states -- Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram -- is likely to be announced by the EC tomorrow.
It was not clear whether the poll panel would announce the schedule for Jammu and Kashmir in view of the reported differences in the Commission and among political parties on holding the election there though the Centre was keen on holding the polls on time.
The Commission met today to decide on the schedule, but nothing officially was said about it.
Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta had briefed the EC on Friday on availability of security forces for conducting elections in the poll-bound states.
The EC's meeting with top Home Ministry officials took place after the panel returned here following a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir last week where it met various political parties to elicit their views on the timing of the elections.
The EC delegation had also met senior civil and police officials to review the poll preparations. During the talks the EC had with political parties in Srinagar, they said they would abide by the panel's decision though they claimed the current atmosphere was not conducive for elections.
BJP and Left parties want immediate elections while Congress is saying the EC will take a decision on it. The term of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, which was dissolved following the breakup of the Congress-PDP coalition after the Amarnath land transfer row, would have ended on November 20.
But since the state was placed under Governor's rule, the elections have to be held before January 10. |
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