Last Updated on March 16, 2024 at 4:37 pm
No assembly elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir with the 7 phase Lok Sabha elections in the country that will begin on April 19. Results will be declared on June 4.
The 5 Lok Sabha seats of Jammu and Kashmir will go to polls in 5 phases.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar today did not make any announcement of holding assembly elections in J&K. Replying to questions, he said that the Election Commission will consider holding assembly elections in J&K after the Lok Sabha polls as adequate security has to be provided to the candidates contesting the assembly elections.
He announced that polling for the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency will be held in the first phase on April 19, Jammu in 2nd phase on April 26, Anantnag in 3rd phase on May 7, Srinagar in 4th phase on May 13 and Baramulla in the last phase on May 20.
On the issue of simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, Kumar did not make any announcement and said that the changes in the number and composition of Assembly seats in the UT post-2019 and the J&K Reorganisation Act have changed the situation.
There has been no delay on part of the EC with regard to the holding of polls in J&K. However, he added that the EC would hold Assembly polls at the earliest. After the delimitation that was notified in December 2023, it is only three months and as such there is no delay from our side in holding the Assembly elections.
He said that the Commission is concerned about holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections but the final call on whether to hold two elections simultaneously.
He, however, said that elections will be held soon without much delay. Majority of political parties we met in Srinagar and Jammu demanded that Assembly and Lok Sabha polls be held simultaneously, Kumar said.
He said that representatives of political parties also demanded level playing field and adequate security cover for campaigning.
Kumar said that the delimitation has increased the number of Assembly seats in J&K to 114 with the effective strength increasing to 90 from the earlier 83. There is also a reservation of one seat for Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Besides, 9 seats have been reserved for STs. Two seats have been reserved for Kashmiri migrants, including one for woman.
