EC, MHA on board for J&K elections

The Election Commission and the Ministry of Home Affairs are largely on board towards holding assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir within an imminent timeframe, ET has learnt.

The full Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, on Wednesday met Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to discuss the security implications around scheduling elections in J&K.

ET has gathered that while it was fully agreed that security concerns are high given the string of recent militant attacks in various parts of J&K, the discussion was constructive and positively inclined towards the conduct of polls.


It was surmised after the discussions, that none of the challenges were 'insurmountable'.

This is a very significant and critical shift as far as J&K elections are concerned, given multiple security challenges at play -- from border proximity to infiltration and militancy.

While in March 2019 (when the EC was considering assembly polls for J&K), the home ministry was learnt to have advised caution and expressed concerns over the proposed poll windows, this time, they have not opposed holding of the assembly elections, it is reliably gathered.

With the MHA largely on board this time around, a series of electoral steps are likely to be taken over the coming days.

First, will be the upping of security preparations.

While 635 companies of paramilitary forces were deployed for J&K parliamentary polls in April-May 2024, the number is expected to go higher for assembly polls given that not only are assembly elections always more hotly contested but also because there is the additional security cover requirement for each contesting candidate.

The EC will also now closely examine the minutiae related to the J&K elections before any poll announcement, sources said.

J&K has so far counted 87.09 lakh voters, including 44.48 lakh males and 42.82 lakh females, who will vote across 11,838 polling stations in 90 constituencies. The final electoral roll for J&K will be published on August 20.

The EC also has to take the crucial decision on timing the poll calendar in different areas according to logistics to considerations like the upcoming festive season, the onset of winter in the Himalayan state and concerns of the migrant voters –– Gujjars and Bhakerwals.

ET gathers that a five-phase poll calendar is being deliberated but a final view will be taken by the ECI over the coming days, based on the above assessments.

The 2014 assembly polls in J&K were held in five phases. Even the 2024 parliamentary polls in J&K were conducted in five phases and showed enthusiastic voter turnout.

ET has earlier reported that the ECI is looking at various options on the election schedule with a high possibility of taking the troubled North Kashmir to polls first, or club parts of South Kashmir alongside and then move to central Kashmir and Jammu.

J&K has been under President's Rule since December 19, 2018. The last assembly election in the erstwhile state was held in November 2014.