Committed to conducting assembly elections in J-K at earliest: CEC Rajiv Kumar

Election Commission organizes several programmes for youths in Kashmir

Jammu,09 August : Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Friday said the Election Commission is committed to conducting polls in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest and will not allow any internal or external forces to derail the electoral process.An EC delegation led by Kumar visited Jammu and Kashmir to review the preparedness for the conduct of the polls and hold discussions with political parties. Talking to reporters, he said all parties have strongly advocated for holding assembly elections soon.”We are committed to conducting elections at the earliest in Jammu and Kashmir. We are confident that the people will respond robustly to disruptive forces and we will witness increased voter participation whenever elections are held,” Kumar said following the conclusion of the two-day visit.

Flanked by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, the CEC said that the EC has completed its state-level review while emphasising that the time is right for holding assembly elections in the region.”We are ready to build on the successes of the previous parliamentary elections. We will first review the availability of security forces in New Delhi. The Supreme Court’s deadline of September 30 will be kept in mind. We will inform you accordingly,” Kumar said when asked about the timeline for assembly elections.Kumar said the timing of elections in any state depends on the expiry of the assembly’s term.

“Elections in four to five states are scheduled for this year, each with separate timelines, and we are prepared for that,” he said.With the Amarnath Yatra concluding on August 19, he said the security situation and force requirements would be assessed in Delhi.During their visit, the CEC-led team met representatives from nine political parties — the BJP, Congress, AAP, BSP, CPIM, National Conference, People’s Democratic Party, J&K National Panthers Party (Bhim), and J&K Panthers Party (India) — in Srinagar to gather their viewpoints.

“These are recognised parties in the state. All parties unanimously praised the people and the Election Commission for conducting peaceful and historic parliamentary elections in J-K.”They acknowledged that the high voter participation was a historic achievement, with no untoward incidents. Public faith in the electoral process has increased,” Kumar said.Kumar noted that all parties agreed that elections should be held as early as possible and also called for a level playing field in the elections.”They emphasised the need for elected representatives to connect better with the people, ensuring the progress of democracy in the region. They believe that the people should form their own government, and elections should be held soon,” he said.

Regarding the recent spurt in terror attacks and violence, especially in the Jammu region,”Given the overwhelming response during the parliamentary elections, there is a need to build on that momentum. State government officials have also said that they are ready to hold elections, and no concerns about any inconvenience were raised,” he said.Referring to the recent terror attacks, Kumar acknowledged that security situations pose their own challenges.”There have been some minor changes in the security situation since the parliamentary elections, but these cannot and will not disrupt the elections. The administration is fully competent to handle such challenges,” he said.

Kumar said such “nefarious acts” are often engineered in response to successful elections.”We remain confident in our resolve. No design, however disruptive, will be allowed to succeed,” he asserted.Kumar also assured that the enthusiasm and high voter turnout seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would not be diminished by such minor challenges.”We are fully committed to ensuring that nothing disrupts the election process. Such situations will not arise, and we will not allow any forces to succeed by delaying the polls,” he said.

“The forces and administration are more than capable of dealing with any such situation. The flag of democracy will continue to fly high,” he added.He said a “positive challenge” was the anticipated increase in participation from both candidates and voters.”The challenge lies in making this a reality on the ground,” he said.Kumar stressed that all officials have been directed to be proactive in making the necessary arrangements at polling stations and on the ground.”There was significant enthusiasm among young voters, and we aim to build on this momentum by providing an appropriate atmosphere, which is also a challenge we are ready to meet,” he said.

The CEC outlined various directives regarding security, voter facilities, and providing the best possible environment for the elections.Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Friday said no internal or external forces would be allowed to disrupt the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir which will be held “at the earliest”.Talking to reporters at the end of the two-day visit of an Election Commission delegation to the Union Territory, Kumar emphasised that all political parties in the region have sought for the assembly elections to take place soon.

This was the first major exercise for preparing the grounds for holding the maiden assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after it was downgraded to a Union Territory on August 5, 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.The visit of the three-member EC team led by Kumar comes ahead of the September 30 deadline given by the Supreme Court earlier this year for the completion of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.”We are committed to conducting elections at the earliest in Jammu and Kashmir. We are confident that the people will respond robustly to any disruptive forces and increase their participation when elections are held,” Kumar said.

Accompanied by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, the CEC highlighted that the timing for the elections is right, especially in light of the successful parliamentary elections held recently.”We are ready to build on the successes of the parliamentary elections. We will first review the availability of security forces in New Delhi, keeping in mind the Supreme Court’s deadline of September 30. We will keep you informed about the timeline for elections,” he added.The EC delegation was in Srinagar on Thursday where they met representatives of political parties as well as senior officials including Chief Secretary Atul Dulloo and Director General of Police R R Swain.

Kumar explained that the scheduling of elections in any state is contingent upon the expiration of the assembly’s term.”Elections in four to five states are scheduled for this year, each with separate timelines, and we are prepared for that,” he said.The EC has already completed a review in Jammu and Kashmir, and with the Amarnath Yatra concluding on August 19, security requirements will be assessed in Delhi before announcing the election dates.During their visit, the delegation engaged with representatives from nine political parties, including the mainstream regional parties like the National Conference and the PDP besides the BJP, Congress, AAP, BSP, CPIM and the J&K National Panthers Party.

Kumar said there was unanimous agreement among the parties on the importance of conducting assembly elections promptly, emphasising the need for elected representatives to foster better connections with the public.”All parties expressed their desire for early elections, believing it is crucial for the people to form their own government,” he noted.Kumar said the political representatives acknowledged the role of the EC in the recent parliamentary elections in bolstering public faith in the electoral process, with high voter turnout and no major incidents reported.”These are recognised parties in the state. All parties unanimously praised the people and the Election Commission for conducting peaceful and historic parliamentary elections in J-K,” Kumar said.

The CEC noted that the parties also called for a level playing field in the polls.”They emphasised the need for elected representatives to connect better with the people, ensuring the progress of democracy in the region. They believe that the people should form their own government,” he said.While addressing concerns regarding the recent spurt in terror attacks, Kumar reassured that security issues would not hinder the electoral process.”There have been some minor changes in the security situation since the parliamentary elections, but these will not disrupt the elections. The administration is fully capable of managing such challenges,” he asserted.

Kumar emphasised that the enthusiasm and the expected high voter turnout in the upcoming polls would not be diminished by any challenges.”We are committed to ensuring that nothing disrupts the election process. The forces and administration are more than capable of handling any situation,” he stated.The CEC outlined directives regarding security, voter facilities, and creating an optimal environment for the elections. He stressed the importance of proactive measures at polling stations to encourage participation, particularly among young voters.Earlier in Srinagar, some enthusiastic students in Kashmir came together to promote the importance of voting and express their faith in democracy.

They participated in several programmes, including a ‘Run for Democracy’, a cycle rally and a shikara rally at the SKICC here.Chanting slogans like ‘we are proud voters’, the youngsters pledged to be the ambassadors of democracy in the valley. Scores of enthusiastic youth in Kashmir on Friday came together to promote the importance of voting and express their faith in democracy, by participating in several programmes inaugurated here by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar.Hundreds of youngsters of Kashmir came together with unmatched enthusiasm, promoting the importance of voting and expressing their faith in democracy, officials said.

The students participated in several programmes under SVEEP, including Run for Democracy, Cycle Rally and Shikara Rally at SKICC here, the officials said, adding that the events were inaugurated by CEC Kumar along with Election Commissioners (ECs) Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu.Kumar led the cycle rally along with ECs as a part of voter awareness and enrolment.The Election Commission is currently undertaking 2nd Special Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls in J&K.The youngsters enlightened with the vision of democracy showed overwhelming participation in the events making the SKICC and Back Waters of Dal Lake abuzz with the vibes and flavour of democracy, the officials said.

Chanting slogans like ‘we are proud voters’, the youngsters pledged to be the ambassadors of democracy in the valley.This underscored their faith in the democratic process and commitment to strengthen democracy, and educate their friends, colleagues, classmates and general people about the significance of Electoral Participation, the officials said.High-spirited eligible youngsters vouched to register themselves in the voter lists of their respective areas and encourage youth of their peer groups, they said.The CEC and ECs appreciated participants for spreading the message of democracy and the importance of exercising the valuable Right to Franchise.

The team of Election Commission of India arrived here on Thursday to review the preparedness for assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and take feedback from political parties.The ECI met the representatives of political parties and also held deliberations with officers in the police and civil administration, before leaving for Jammu.