While Jammu and Kashmir will not witness simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has assured that the Election Commission remains committed to conducting elections in the state.
"The EC is dedicated to conducting Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir shortly after the Lok Sabha elections," affirmed the Chief Election Commissioner.
Rajiv Kumar clarified that organizing both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections concurrently is not feasible from a security standpoint in Jammu and Kashmir.
Explaining why Assembly polls aren't being synchronized with the Lok Sabha election in the region, the Election Commissioner pointed out logistical challenges, including the necessity to provide security forces to each candidate in the Union Territory. Such arrangements are impractical when elections are happening across the country, as reported by PTI.
He highlighted the timeline, noting the amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act in December 2023 following a delimitation exercise. Since then, the clock has been ticking for the Election Commission.
Reacting to this development, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticized the Election Commission's inability to hold Assembly polls in the state alongside the Lok Sabha elections, despite acknowledging their due status.
"So much for 'One Nation One Election.' The EC is unable to conduct assembly polls in J&K with the general election even when they acknowledge that elections are due," he remarked on X (formerly Twitter).
In Jammu and Kashmir, Lok Sabha elections will occur over five phases, with vote counting scheduled for June 4. Since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the region hasn't witnessed Assembly elections. The term of 4,892 elected village panchayats concluded in January 2024.
The nationwide Lok Sabha elections, covering 543 seats, will transpire in seven phases from April 19, with results announced on June 4, as confirmed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
