Srinagar, Mar 13: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday met with political parties in Jammu and Kashmir at SKICC here to evaluate their readiness for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Various parties, including the National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Communist Party of India – CPI(M) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), were part of these discussions with chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and other officials of the poll panel, who arrived on Monday for a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
NC stressed the importance of holding assembly elections alongside the Lok Sabha polls, a sentiment echoed by PDP. NC leader, Nasir Aslam Wani led his party’s delegation and emphasized to the Election Commission the importance of conducting assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir concurrently with the Lok Sabha polls.
Wani said they highlighted the deprivation of democratic rights for the people of Jammu and Kashmir over the past decade and said the ECI “attentively” listened to their concerns.
PDP leader Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura also advocated for holding assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously during the meeting. He said the decision now rests with the Election Commission.
Apni Party chief spokesperson Muntazir Mohi-ud-Din reacting to the visit of ECI to Srinagar said they are hopeful that both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be held simultaneously.
After meeting with the Election Commission at SKICC, the BJP delegation led by the former MLA Advocate R S Pathania said they presented demands for improving the ease of casting votes and maximizing voter turnout.
He said they also urged for simplifying M4 forms for Kashmiri Pandits and suggested the possibility of replacing these forms with setting up polling booths zone-wise in Jammu, Delhi and other locations to enhance their voting participation.
When asked if the BJP put the demand for simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Pathania said the BJP has always supported holding assembly elections at the earliest possible time.
“BJP is ready for simultaneous elections if the Election Commission and local administration agree on the feasibility of conducting them together,” he said.
A delegation from Congress also met the Election Commission and apprised it of various issues confronting J&K, especially the prolonged delay in holding assembly elections.
The delegation also briefed the Commission about other pressing demands including appropriate security to the opposition and issuance of updated electoral rolls to parties before the elections.
Congress delegation led by former JKPCC president Peerzada Mohd Sayeed and comprising senior JKPCC vice president Gulam Nabi Monga (ex-MLC), Mohd Anwar Bhat and PCC General Secretary Irfan Naqashbandi during the meeting with ECI urged the Commission that apart from forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, simultaneous assembly elections should be conducted in J&K to ensure that “people elect their representatives and enjoy the fruits of democracy like people in other States and UTs in the country”.
The delegation told the Commission that a level playing field must be ensured for all parties including the opposition, especially in the matter of the security of prominent leaders and functionaries.
A four-member delegation from CPI(M) urged the ECI to conduct assembly elections in J&K concurrently with the Lok Sabha polls.
There is a growing demand, notably from former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad, for simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha elections or prompt assembly polls after the general elections.
