Jammu, Mar 13: The Election Commission of India has reassured the public that there will be no delay in conducting Assembly elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir .
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar emphasised the ECI’s commitment to holding the elections ‘well on time’ after a thorough review of the security situation and consultations with various stakeholders.
Addressing a press conference, CEC Rajiv Kumar stated, “We are equally concerned about both Lok Sabha elections as well as the Assembly elections here in J&K.” He emphasised that the ECI is actively working towards ensuring that Assembly elections in J&K are conducted without any delay.
The ECI team, led by CEC Rajiv Kumar, recently concluded its visit to J&K to assess the security situation and preparedness for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“We had a meeting with representatives of national and regional political parties and questions were raised about the delay in holding of assembly polls. I want to clarify that there was no delay on the part of the Election Commission,” Kumar said.
Additionally, meetings were held with various enforcement and security agencies in both Jammu and Kashmir to evaluate the preparedness for elections.
CEC Rajiv Kumar stated, “We have assessed the security arrangement and the requirement for holding elections here in J&K,” adding that the ECI will review the entire scenario and determine the necessary security measures.
Responding to questions from the media, the CEC reiterated the ECI’s commitment to holding Assembly elections in J&K on time, with the decision being made after a thorough review of the security scenario and feedback from stakeholders.
Regarding the electoral process, CEC Rajiv Kumar
said the J-K Reorganisation Act came in 2019 followed by a delimitation commission which completed its exercise in 2022, recommending an increase of assembly seats from 107 to 114 including 24 seats for residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“Now we have 90 assembly seats including nine seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes. There was no chance of holding elections as there was a dissonance between the J-K reorganisation act and the delimitation.
“We have to bring them together and that happened in December 2023 in the form of the J-K Reorganization (Amendment) Act,” he said.
He said that the ECI is working towards ensuring maximum participation in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, especially targeting youth voters. Special camps will also be set up for Kashmiri migrant voters in Jammu and Udhampur to facilitate their participation in the elections, with requisite forms provided well in advance.
Over 2800 Centenarian voters in J&K: CEC
Special arrangements for elderly, physically challenged voters in J&K
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar disclosed a surprising statistic that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) boasts 2886 voters aged above 100 years. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has assured to ensure their participation in the electoral process.
“Special arrangements will be made by the ECI for the senior citizens and the physically challenged people to ensure these people are able to cast their vote in the elections,” the CEC said.
Speaking in Jammu, Kumar assured that special provisions would be made to facilitate voting for these elderly and differently-abled citizens. Election Commission teams will meticulously visit each household to identify and assist those unable to visit polling booths. Forms will be distributed to enable voting from home, ensuring that every eligible voter, regardless of age or physical condition, can exercise their democratic right in the upcoming elections.
