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Plan in place to ensure peaceful elections in border areas: Jammu and Kashmir chief electoral officer
Jammu and Kashmir chief electoral officer Pandurang K Pole, who visited the northern district of Bandipora on Sunday to review poll preparations, said they have planned the elections in border areas as per the precedent
Jammu and Kashmir chief electoral officer Pandurang K Pole said the authorities were working towards ensuring peaceful Lok Sabha elections in the border areas, assuring that a plan-B is in place if there are attempts to disrupt elections.
Pole, who visited the northern district of Bandipora on Sunday to review poll preparations, said they have planned the elections in border areas as per the precedent.
“In border areas we have planned as per the norm. In case Razdan pass is closed owing to any issue (like weather), then poll parties and EVMs will be airlifted to those areas,” he said while talking to the media.
He was optimistic that the polls will be held peacefully in the border areas in view of the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
“Normally there is a ceasefire in place on the border for the past 4-5 years and it doesn’t seem that any such (untoward)activity will happen from the other side,” he said, while referring to the understanding between the director generals of military operations (DGsMO) on a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in February 2021.
Speaking of the plan-B, Pole said, “In case there is any movement from the other side on the border making any attempt to interfere in voting, then we also have plan B in place. Our every effort is that we will conduct the elections in a peaceful environment even if there are attempts to interfere.”
Srinagar parliamentary constituency goes to polls on May 13, while Baramulla north Kashmir and Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency will go to polls on May 20 and 25 respectively.
Efforts underway to boost turnout
During a meeting in the Bandipora district, Pole emphasised collaborative efforts of different stakeholders to enhance voter turnout.
He was hopeful of a good turnout in areas which have traditionally been reticent in terms of polling percentage.
“The way youth are enthusiastic, it appears that people will turn up in large numbers on the day of voting on May 20 (in Baramulla parliamentary constituency). The expectation is that voting in Bandipora will be like never before like we observe good voting in Gurez and Sumbal,” he said.
Buoyed by the improvement in situation in Kashmir, the authorities are hopeful of a record voter turnout in the elections in the valley which in the past has often witnessed lower turnouts due to poll boycott calls by separatists.
