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| Coalition’s limited choices for LS nominees | | |
ZAFAR CHOUDHARY
Jammu, March 4: Lobbying is on among the members of coalition partners for a ticket to Lok Sabh but those aspiring to become Ministers in Jammu and Kashmir are just running away from the name of upcoming elections.
The process for the Lok Sabha elections has been kick-started but looking at the organizational structure of both National Conference and the Congress there are not enough potential candidates to clinch the seats –three in Kashmir Valley and two in Jammu. Options in Ladakh are limited and competition too.
In the outgoing Lok Sabha, the National Conference and Congress had two seats each while Peoples Democratic Party and Ladakh Union Territory Front had one seat each. Congress is mounting pressure on the National Conference to concede four seats to it –Jammu-Poonch, Kathua-Doda, Baramulla-Kupwara and Ladakh seats. However, National Conference is yet to respond.
Sources said that though a formal discussion among both parties on selecting nominees is yet to take off but the leadership is of the considered opinion that those who lost the recent assembly elections should not be fielded. Interestingly, none among those who won are interested in contesting elections. Those who have become Ministers do not want to lose the chair and others are waiting for a seat in the Cabinet instead of taxing through and arduous process of Lok Sabha elections to reach New Delhi where chance of becoming a Minister can be just like a lottery.
As per the schedule, elections in all the six Parliamentary constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir shall be conducted in five phases.
In Jammu division, polling in Jammu Parliamentary constituency shall be held on April 16 in the first phase. March 23 is the date of issuance of Notification, March 30 last date for making nominations, March 31 date of scrutiny of nominations and April 2 is the last date of withdrawal of nomination papers.
For Udhampur constituency, going to polls in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 23, Notification shall be issued on March 28, April 4 is the date of filing nominations, April 6 date of scrutiny and April 8 last date for withdrawal of nominations.
Likewise in Kashmir division, polling in Anantnag constituency shall be held on April 30 in the third phase, Notification shall be issued on April 2, last date for making nominations is April 9, scrutiny of nomination on April 10 and last date of withdrawal of candidature is April 15.
Srinagar Parliamentary constituency shall go to polls on May 7 in the fourth phase and April 11 is the date of issuance of Notification. The last date for filing nomination papers is April 18, date of scrutiny of nominations April 20 and last date of withdrawal of nominations is April 22.
In the fifth and final phase of Parliamentary elections on May 13, Baramulla and Ladakh Parliamentary constituencies are scheduled to go to polls for which April 17 is the date of issuance of Notification, April 24 last date for filing nominations, April 25 date of scrutiny of nominations and April 27 last date of withdrawal of candidature.
Counting of votes shall take place on May 16 and is expected to complete on the same day. The entire election process shall be completed before May 28.
The Election Commission of India has taken decision of scheduling and phasing the Lok Sabha election after holding meeting with representatives of all recognized National and State political parties. The Commission also held a series of meetings with the Chief Secretaries, Director General of Police and Chief Electoral Officers of all States to assess the law and order situation, requirement of Central Police Forces (CPF) and overall preparedness of the election machinery in the country. The Commission has also held detailed discussions with the Union Home Secretary over deployment of forces and Chairman Railway Board on Inter-state movement plan for transport of CPF and other police forces.
Consequent on the announcement of schedule for the Lok Sabha elections, Model Code of Conduct has been enforced in the entire country.
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