A team from the Election Commission of India (ECI) is scheduled to meet with political parties today to assess the preparations for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting, taking place at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre in Srinagar, will commence shortly as politicians arrive. The ECI seeks feedback from the political parties ahead of announcing the election schedule.
Representatives from various political parties, including the National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), BJP, Congress, and Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party, have arrived at the SKICC to engage with the ECI team, according to officials.
Senior officials from the police and civil administration, including J-K Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole, have also joined the gathering at the SKICC.
Earlier today, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and his team arrived in Srinagar for the meeting.
On Tuesday, the Jammu and Kashmir election commission sent letters to various political parties, inviting them to attend the meeting with the ECI.
The Election Commission has assigned time slots for the political parties to meet and hold discussions.
Chief Election Commissioner Kumar is accompanied by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu.
In addition to meeting with political parties, the ECI will also assess preparations with election officers, police superintendents from all districts, the chief secretary, and the director general of police.
This three-day visit concludes on August 10 in Jammu, where the ECI will hold a review meeting with enforcement agencies. A press conference will also be held in Jammu to update the media on the review process.
Earlier this year in March, when Rajiv Kumar was the sole member of the three-member Commission to visit the Union Territory, he assured political parties and the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the poll panel would soon conduct elections in the region.
At that time, the positions of two Election Commissioners were vacant, and they were filled shortly before the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls on March 16.
Apart from meeting with political parties, the Commission will also review the situation with the Chief Electoral Officer and the coordinator for central forces.
As the Election Commission begins its review of the preparedness for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, there is a palpable sense of anticipation and expectation among the political parties and the people. The outcome of this meeting will set the stage for the next significant milestone in the democratic process in the region.
