Committed to conducting assembly elections in J&K at earliest: CEC Rajiv Kumar

Jammu, Aug 9 (PTI) Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Friday said the Election Commission is committed to conducting polls in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest and will not allow any internal or external forces to derail the electoral process.

An EC delegation led by Kumar visited Jammu and Kashmir to review the preparedness for the conduct of the polls and hold discussions with political parties. Talking to reporters, he said all parties have strongly advocated for holding assembly elections soon.

“We are committed to conducting elections at the earliest in Jammu and Kashmir. We are confident that the people will respond robustly to disruptive forces and we will witness increased voter participation whenever elections are held,” Kumar said following the conclusion of the two-day visit.

Flanked by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, the CEC said that the EC has completed its state-level review while emphasising that the time is right for holding assembly elections in the region.

“We are ready to build on the successes of the previous parliamentary elections. We will first review the availability of security forces in New Delhi. The Supreme Court’s deadline of September 30 will be kept in mind. We will inform you accordingly,” Kumar said when asked about the timeline for assembly elections.

Kumar said the timing of elections in any state depends on the expiry of the assembly’s term.

“Elections in four to five states are scheduled for this year, each with separate timelines, and we are prepared for that,” he said.

With the Amarnath Yatra concluding on August 19, he said the security situation and force requirements would be assessed in Delhi.

During their visit, the CEC-led team met representatives from nine political parties — the BJP, Congress, AAP, BSP, CPIM, National Conference, People’s Democratic Party, J&K National Panthers Party (Bhim), and J&K Panthers Party (India) — in Srinagar to gather their viewpoints.

“These are recognised parties in the state. All parties unanimously praised the people and the Election Commission for conducting peaceful and historic parliamentary elections in J-K.

“They acknowledged that the high voter participation was a historic achievement, with no untoward incidents. Public faith in the electoral process has increased,” Kumar said.

Kumar noted that all parties agreed that elections should be held as early as possible and also called for a level playing field in the elections.

“They emphasised the need for elected representatives to connect better with the people, ensuring the progress of democracy in the region. They believe that the people should form their own government, and elections should be held soon,” he said.

Regarding the recent spurt in terror attacks and violence, especially in the Jammu region,

“Given the overwhelming response during the parliamentary elections, there is a need to build on that momentum. State government officials have also said that they are ready to hold elections, and no concerns about any inconvenience were raised,” he said.

Referring to the recent terror attacks, Kumar acknowledged that security situations pose their own challenges.

“There have been some minor changes in the security situation since the parliamentary elections, but these cannot and will not disrupt the elections. The administration is fully competent to handle such challenges,” he said.

Kumar said such “nefarious acts” are often engineered in response to successful elections.

“We remain confident in our resolve. No design, however disruptive, will be allowed to succeed,” he asserted.

Kumar also assured that the enthusiasm and high voter turnout seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would not be diminished by such minor challenges.

“We are fully committed to ensuring that nothing disrupts the election process. Such situations will not arise, and we will not allow any forces to succeed by delaying the polls,” he said.

“The forces and administration are more than capable of dealing with any such situation. The flag of democracy will continue to fly high,” he added.

He said a “positive challenge” was the anticipated increase in participation from both candidates and voters.

“The challenge lies in making this a reality on the ground,” he said.

Kumar stressed that all officials have been directed to be proactive in making the necessary arrangements at polling stations and on the ground.

“There was significant enthusiasm among young voters, and we aim to build on this momentum by providing an appropriate atmosphere, which is also a challenge we are ready to meet,” he said.

The CEC outlined various directives regarding security, voter facilities, and providing the best possible environment for the elections.