J&K leaders positive of timely assembly polls after ECI meet
Unlike in the past, the leaders who met ECI members in the summer capital this time said they were very hopeful that elections will be held timely.
Political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir demanded early assembly elections while meeting the Election Commission of India (ECI) team led by the chief election commissioner.
The three-member team of ECI led by CEC Rajiv Kumar, accompanied by commission members Gyanesh Kumar and Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to hold meetings with administrative and police officials and leaders of political parties before finalising the dates for assembly polls.
The last assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir were held in 2014. Unlike in the past, the leaders who met ECI members in the summer capital this time said they were very hopeful that elections will be held timely.
Soon after the ECI team arrived in Srinagar, they held meetings with leaders of registered political parties at Sher Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC). In the meetings which lasted for more than two hours, almost all leaders of all the political parties urged the ECI for holding of assembly polls at an earliest as the J&K has been deprived of elected government for the last six years.
The five-member National Conference team was led by party provincial president, Nasir Aslam Wani, who had a detailed meeting with the team members.
{{/usCountry}}The five-member National Conference team was led by party provincial president, Nasir Aslam Wani, who had a detailed meeting with the team members.
{{/usCountry}}“We told the ECI members that some concrete should come out after the meeting. It shouldn’t remain limited to tea and coffee sessions,” Wani said. He said they told the ECI team that there has been no government since 2018 and no elections for 10 years, adding, “We need representatives to address political, development, and security issues. We asked for a level playing field and unbiased decisions.”
{{/usCountry}}“We told the ECI members that some concrete should come out after the meeting. It shouldn’t remain limited to tea and coffee sessions,” Wani said. He said they told the ECI team that there has been no government since 2018 and no elections for 10 years, adding, “We need representatives to address political, development, and security issues. We asked for a level playing field and unbiased decisions.”
{{/usCountry}}Senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former legislator Khursheed Alam who was part of the delegation said they conveyed to them why assembly polls should be held at the earliest. “We told the ECI members how Amarnath pilgrimage was held peacefully, how more than one crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir and the enthusiastic participation in Lok Sabha polls. We also apprised the commission about problems people are facing due to absence of a popular elected government.”
{{/usCountry}}Senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former legislator Khursheed Alam who was part of the delegation said they conveyed to them why assembly polls should be held at the earliest. “We told the ECI members how Amarnath pilgrimage was held peacefully, how more than one crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir and the enthusiastic participation in Lok Sabha polls. We also apprised the commission about problems people are facing due to absence of a popular elected government.”
{{/usCountry}}Congress’ local unit vice-president Ghulam Nabi Monga said that they had threadbare discussions with the ECI. “We urged them to hold elections and also about security issues of political leaders and probable dates when nomads will return from meadows,” he added.
Even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders who met the ECI team called for early elections. Former party legislator and senior BJP leader Surinder Ambardar said they had a very fruitful and positive meeting with the ECI team and discussed assembly elections.
“We discussed security and administrative concerns of political parties with ECI. We requested the ECI that for a long time assembly polls haven’t been held in J&K which should be held now. BJP as a party was ready for assembly elections even when Lok Sabha polls were held in the country and the party will do well in elections and represent the concern of common people and youth in the new assembly,” he said.
After the meeting with the delegations of political parties, the ECI team held a meeting with deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police on the security situation. The team was briefed by the officials about the situation, especially on the security front.
The ECI team also held meetings with other officials of the UT administration during which preparations regarding elections were discussed. On Friday morning, the Commission will hold meetings with chief secretary Atul Duloo and director general of police RR Swain.
Later, the team will travel to winter capital Jammu, where ECI members will be holding a press briefing and another security related meeting with officers deployed in the Jammu division.
