EC to conduct elections of J&K Assembly by Sep 30, 2024: Supreme Court

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of India today ordered the Election Commission (EC) to conduct elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly by September 30, 2024.

The court, in its judgement, delivered by a bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, stated that the delay in holding elections in the region was “unconstitutional and undemocratic.” The court further emphasized that holding timely elections is crucial for ensuring the democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Supreme Court’s directive comes in response to a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and the subsequent reorganization of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. The petitions argued that the government’s actions were unconstitutional and violated the fundamental rights of the people of the region.