With the Election Commission of India scheduled to announce dates for the upcoming Assembly elections in different states on Friday afternoon, there is a significant buzz in Jammu and Kashmir, where the Supreme Court deadline for holding assembly polls ends on September 30.
Political parties are hopeful that the ECI will also announce poll dates for Jammu and Kashmir. Assembly Elections Schedule LIVE Updates
National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah told Outlook, "I am confident that the polls will be announced. Although there has been a long delay, I don't believe they will postpone it any further. The announcement will be made today."
CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami was equally confident. "They have no option other than to proceed with the election. I am expecting they will announce Assembly elections today only," Tarigami said.
EC Visit To J&K
After his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir last Friday, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that the poll panel was committed to conducting assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir “at the earliest”.
"We are committed to conducting polls in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest, and we will not let any internal or external forces derail the election," he said after speaking with political party representatives in Kashmir and Jammu.
CEC Kumar said all political parties in Jammu and Kashmir are strongly advocating for holding assembly elections as soon as possible. "We are sure the people of Jammu and Kashmir will give a befitting response to the disruptive forces," the CEC said when asked whether a surge in militancy in Jammu could delay the polls. He said no one should be allowed to derail the elections as the power of the vote is paramount. He also stated that no internal or external force could derail the poll process.
J&K Elections
J&K is currently without a Legislative Assembly. The last Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held in 2014, leading to the formation of a BJP-PDP coalition government led by Mehbooba Mufti.
However, the coalition ended in 2018 after the BJP withdrew its support from the Mehbooba government, and since then, Assembly polls have not been held in J&K. Jammu and Kashmir is also without Panchayat and Local Urban Bodies.
On January 9 of this year, the five-year term of 28,000 representatives from 4,291 Panchayat and Block Development Councils ended. The last Panchayat elections were held in November-December 2018, and municipal elections took place in October of the same year. Panchayat elections scheduled for October-November last year faced delays due to issues related to OBC reservations following an amendment to the Panchayat Raj Act.
The Supreme Court, in its decision on December 11 of last year, while upholding the abrogation of Article 370, directed the ECI to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, leading a five-judge Constitution Bench, said that direct elections were a paramount feature of democracy and could not be withheld.
All-Party Delagation's Appeal To EC
In March of last year, Dr Farooq Abdullah led an all-party delegation from Jammu and Kashmir to meet the Election Commission of India, urging the ECI to fulfill their constitutional obligation to hold assembly elections in J&K.
The delegation's memorandum presented to the ECI in New Delhi argued that the delay and denial of assembly elections in J&K amounts to a denial of the fundamental and democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The delegation said holding assembly elections would be a crucial step toward restoring all constitutional rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India and fulfilling the political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The delegation had also informed the ECI that Panchayat elections and elections to other PRIs cannot substitute for legislative assembly elections, and the government and the ECI, cannot avoid or delay assembly elections on that ground.
The delegation had argued that Jammu and Kashmir is without a legislative assembly and an elected government, and in disregard of the letter and spirit of the Constitution, an unrepresentative and unaccountable bureaucracy is allowed to govern, causing discomfort and inconvenience to the general public.
