Commending Lok Sabha Turnout, Officials Urged to Set New Benchmarks for J&K Assembly Polls
SUHAIL KHAN
SRINAGAR, Aug 08: The Chief Election Commissioner of India Rajiv Kumar and his deputies Gyanesh Kumar and S.S Sandhu began their three-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir from Srinagar on Thursday.
The ECI team is in Srinagar to review poll preparedness as Assembly elections have not been held in the union territory since 2014.
An official told Kashmir Despatch that during the first meeting, the ECI team met representatives of various political parties including National Conference, People’s Democratic Party, BJP, Congress, and BSP at Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Center (SKICC) on the banks of Dal Lake after landing in Srinagar.
The official said that during the meeting with political party representatives, ECI team took feedback and suggestions on holding the much-delayed assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sunil Sethi, the chief spokesperson of the BJP, along with party colleagues R.S. Pathania and Rafiq Wani, represented the party at the meeting. He said that they urged the ECI to hold elections without delay. “We told them we want the elections to be held within the time limit fixed by the Supreme Court of India,” he said. “We want adherence to that.” Sethi said that they demanded the restoration of security for political leaders and workers whose security has been withdrawn.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Monga said they told the ECI that India is the mother of democracy, but Jammu and Kashmir has been denied elections for the last 10 years. “We insisted that elections be held at the earliest,” he said. “We also raised security concerns for political leaders and workers whose security has been withdrawn.” Monga said that they urged the ECI not to discriminate in providing security to political parties. “We also raised the issue of nomads who have migrated to the hills with their herds,” he added. Monga was accompanied by senior party leaders Ravinder Sharma and Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed.
Sakina Itoo of the National Conference described the meeting with the ECI as positive. “The atmosphere was good,” she said. “We brought up certain things, and they listened patiently”. She expressed hope that the ECI would decide to hold the polls without further delay. “We are not seeking any charity but the right of the people that has been snatched from them for the last 10 years so that they can elect their representatives and get their problems addressed,” she said. Sakina said they also urged the ECI for transparency in elections and a level playing field for all parties.
Asiya Naqash of PDP said they reminded the ECI that during their last visit to Jammu and Kashmir, her party had suggested that the Assembly elections be held alongside the Lok Sabha polls. “We told them your visit is late, given the Supreme Court deadline for holding elections in September,” she said. “We told them we hope you will make an announcement about the Assembly elections.” Naqash also noted that the ECI officials assured them they would meet again.
President of National Panthers Party (Bhim), Vileshan Singh said that they demanded early elections.
“The delay in conducting polls is giving the wrong message to the rest of the world,” he said, adding that they have also been assured that their issues related to the symbol and name of the party will be resolved before the polls.
Former minister and leader of National Panthers Party( India) Harsh Dev Singh said that they have told the delegation that the polls should be conducted at earliest and within the timeline set by the Supreme Court. “During the bureaucratic rule, the people are being pushed to the wall. J&K cannot be ruled through a remote control from Delhi. We demanded early, free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir,” Singh said.
Meanwhile, official sources told Kashmir Despatch that after meeting the political parties, the ECI held a joint meeting with all deputy commissioners (DCs) and senior superintendents of police (SSPs).
Sources said that during the meeting, the ECI complimented the district teams for the successful conduct of Lok Sabha elections, but cautioned against complacency.
Sources said that the Chief Election Commissioner of India Rajiv Kumar further asked the officers to continue to work hard to aim for new standards beyond the benchmark of the Parliamentary elections.
Kashmir Despatch has learnt from the insiders that far-flung areas will be a priority to hold elections in the first phase due to early snowfall in those areas.
Sources further told Kashmir Despatch that later, the ECI met with the chief electoral officer, state police nodal officer, and coordinator of central paramilitary forces to review preparedness for the polls.
The ECI then planned to meet with Chief Secretary Atul Dullo and Director General of Police (DGP) R.R. Swain before leaving for Jammu.
The ECI will brief the media on August 10 in Jammu, in which some important announcements on the elections are expected.
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
