||Black and White Digital News ||

||Parvinder Singh August 09,2024 ||

JAMMU: In a significant development, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the long-awaited Assembly elections will be held, but only after a comprehensive security review. The assurance came during the ECI’s recent visit to the Union Territory, where top officials, including Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, held discussions with various stakeholders to assess the ground situation.

Key Meetings and Discussions:

The ECI’s visit involved high-level meetings with representatives from political parties, security agencies, and administrative officials. The Commission engaged in dialogues to understand the concerns and expectations of the people regarding the upcoming elections. The focus of these discussions was on the prevailing security environment, especially in regions that have witnessed heightened militancy in recent times.

Political leaders from various parties emphasized the urgency of conducting elections to restore democratic governance in the region. They highlighted the prolonged absence of a legislative assembly since the dissolution of the J&K Assembly in 2018. In response, the ECI officials underscored their commitment to holding free, fair, and transparent elections but reiterated that the process would only commence after a thorough security review.

Security Review and Timelines:

The security review, according to CEC Rajiv Kumar, is crucial to ensuring the safety and security of voters, candidates, and polling personnel. The ECI plans to work closely with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and local security forces to evaluate the threat perception in various districts. This review will determine the feasibility of conducting the elections in a peaceful and secure environment.

Although no specific timeline was provided, the ECI hinted that the elections could be scheduled once the security situation is deemed stable. This review process is expected to be meticulous, given the challenges posed by ongoing militancy in certain areas of the Union Territory.

Political Reactions:

The assurance from the ECI has been met with a mixed response from political parties in J&K. While some parties welcomed the commitment to hold elections, they expressed concerns over the indefinite timeline linked to the security review. They urged the ECI to expedite the process, stressing the need for a representative government in the region.

Others, however, raised apprehensions about the potential delay in elections, arguing that prolonged central rule is detrimental to the democratic fabric of Jammu and Kashmir. They called for immediate steps to ensure that the security review does not lead to an indefinite postponement of the electoral process.