Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar Reaffirms Commitment to Holding Jammu and Kashmir Polls at the Earliest Despite Challenges

Srinagar, 09-08-2024 : Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar reaffirmed the Election Commission’s commitment to holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Kumar emphasized that the Commission would not allow any internal or external forces to disrupt the electoral process. He noted that all political parties in the region are strongly advocating for early assembly elections.

Kumar, along with a delegation from the Election Commission, is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to assess the readiness of both the administration and security agencies for the upcoming polls. On the second day of the visit, the delegation, which includes Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S.S. Sandhu, held discussions with Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Secretary Atal Dullo and the Union Territory’s Director General of Police, R.R. Swain, to evaluate the situation.

Jammu and Kashmir has not held assembly elections since 2014. Elections were initially expected in early 2019 after the legislative body of the erstwhile state was dissolved in 2018. However, following the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories in August 2019, the elections were postponed due to various challenges, including a delimitation exercise that was completed in 2022.

The Supreme Court, in a directive issued in December of the previous year, instructed the Central Government to complete the election process by September 30, 2024. The Election Commission’s current visit is part of the efforts to meet this deadline and ensure that the electoral process proceeds smoothly in Jammu and Kashmir.