J&K election: EC stalls appointment of Army officer as SSP a day before polling

The EC has directed the J&K chief secretary to submit a compliance report by 11 am on October 1 along with a detailed explanation

Published on: Sep 30, 2024, 20:48:27 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Election Commission on Monday stalled the appointment of an army officer as senior superintendent of police by the Jammu and Kashmir administration, a day before the Union territory votes in the third phase of assembly elections.

In a written order to Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary, the poll panel referred to the administration's order appointing Colonel Vikrant Prasher, Para, High Altitude Warfare School, Gulmarg, as the SSP (Training) and Special (Operations) in J&K Police.

The EC cited Model Code of Conduct in force due to the assembly election and a ban on transfer of officers connected to polls.

“Without going into the rationale at this stage, process and urgency of posting of an Army officer as SSP in the civil side during the period of operation of MCC, the Commission hereby directs that order shall be kept in abeyance with immediate effect,” the election commission stated.

“If the order has already been implemented, the status quo prior to the issuance of the order must be restored immediately,” the order read.

The EC has directed the J&K chief secretary to submit a compliance report by 11 am on October 1 along with a detailed explanation on the rationale for “issuing the order without obtaining the required clearance" from it.

Jammu and Kashmir elections

The third phase of J&K elections will be held on October 1. Over 39.18 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 5,060 polling stations in the third phase, covering 40 assembly segments in Jammu, Udhampur, Samba and Kathua in the Jammu region and Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara in north Kashmir.

ALSO READ: A 1st in 7 decades: Refugees to vote in J&K assembly polls

The voter turnout was robust in the earlier phases, with 61.38 per cent participation recorded in the first phase on September 18 and 57.31 per cent in the second phase on September 25. It is the first assembly election in J&K since it was bifurcated into a Union territory after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

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