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| EC inching closer to decision | | ‘Yes or no’ likely by Monday, CS’ of 5 states assure support | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Oct 17: The Election Commission of India is most likely to take lid off its suspense on Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections on Monday after obtaining inputs in a crucial meeting with Chief Secretaries of five states.
Highly placed sources told EARLY TIMES from New Delhi this evening that the Chief Secretaries of five states – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh –are reported to have assured the Election Commission to spare a cumulative strength of 4,000 to 5,000 Urdu speaking cops from their states. However, there was no official information yet.
Besides political reasons associated with the current of disturbance in Kashmir Valley, the availability of Urdu speaking cops for election duty was reported to be only hitch in taking a final decision on Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
Sources said that J&K Chief Election Officer BR Sharma, who also attended the meeting, has been asked by the Election Commission to stay back in New Delhi till Monday when a decision is likely to be announced. The state Election Department had submitted a proposal to the Election Commission on a five-phased election schedule which, sources said, is being rescheduled. “The Election Commission does not elections held in five phases as that would require longer stationing of cops and troops drawn from other states on poll duty”, said source.
Sources further added that the Election Commission wants polls held in three phases or at the most in four phases. “If a final decision is reached on Monday, the elections are likely to be spread in four phases and a new assembly should be in place by December 25”, sources privy to the developments in Election Commission claimed.
Sources said the response of the Chief Secretaries was "quite positive and one could expect things to go in the right direction."
The EC, which announced the poll schedule for five states on Tuesday, could not take a decision on J&K as it was divided over holding elections in the state. Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami had given a broad hint on Thursday that the Commission would "very quickly" take a decision.
There were differences of opinion among the three-member Commission with two Commissioners favouring immediate polls and the CEC having some reservations.
The availability of security forces is not a problem as the Centre has expressed its readiness in this regard, the sources said, adding once the availability of Urdu-speaking polling staff is known, the EC will finalise the schedule. |
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