Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 18: Full Election Commission today held high level review of arrangements to ensure free, fair, smooth and violence-free conduct of five-phase Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir with top officers of the State and neighbouring States including Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and senior representatives of Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The full Election Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) VS Sampath directed top brass from Jammu and Kashmir, which had been summoned to New Delhi, to ensure fool-proof security to candidates, political parties and above all, the electorates and ensure that there was no coercion and the people turnout in large numbers to cast their votes without any fear like the Lok Sabha elections, official sources told the Excelsior.
Sampath, who was joined by Election Commissioners—BS Brahma and Dr Naseem Zaidi, Deputy Election Commissioner, Vinod Zutshi and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), J&K Umang Narula also directed Joint Secretary Home (Police) Sailesh Kumar and Joint Secretary Defence Narayan Dubey, who represented MHA and MoD in the high level meeting at Nirvachan Sadan in the Union capital to ensure that there was fool-proof security along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) so that the militants were not able to infiltrate into the State to disrupt the elections.
Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, Director General of Police (DGP) K Rajendra, Principal Secretary (Home) Suresh Kumar and Nodal Officer for Assembly elections SM Sahai, Additional DGP attended the meeting from Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said the full Election Commission had also called the Chief Secretaries and DGPs of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and directed them to extend support to Jammu and Kashmir if the poll bound State required additional police forces from the two States. The two States assured the Election Commission that they were ready to provide any kind of help the J&K needs for the elections including deployment of police force of the two States in J&K for five phase polling.
In addition to deployment of police of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, the Election Commission also directed the two States to intensify patrolling in the areas bordering Jammu and Kashmir and seal the borders on the eve of every phase of elections to check flow of cash and liquor into the State apart from the activities of anti-social and anti-national elements.
Sources said the Election Commission reviewed deployment of additional 500 companies of para-military forces sent to the State by the Union Home Ministry, mobilization of police force and security along sensitive areas and polling stations with special reference to the border areas. The EC wanted to know the contingency plan made by the State Government for the polling stations falling along the LoC and IB so that the polling was not disturbed even if Pakistan resorted to firing on the day of voting.
The State officials apprised the Election Commission that all measures desired by them for free, fair, smooth and peaceful polling in the State have been made and were being reviewed or updated regularly to plug any shortcomings. They said the Government has already drafted contingency plan for the polling stations in the border areas—both along LoC and IB and will put it in place well before the elections. They apprised the Commission that deployment for first phase of polling on November 25 in 15 Assembly segments of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh was complete and it would be made well in advance for remaining four phases.
The Election Commission called for effective coordination among all security agencies assigned the duty of holding free and fair elections and regular meetings among them to share inputs and take preventive measures to thwart the plans of militants and anti-social elements.
Mr Rajendra told Excelsior after the high level review meeting that police authorities were fully geared to hold violence-free elections in Jammu and Kashmir and all possible measures have been taken for this.
“We briefed the Election Commission on preventive measures taken, deployment of Central forces and mobilization of local police, security provided to candidates and political parties, polling stations and other vulnerable areas for five-phase elections,’’ he said.
Sources said the Election Commission was satisfied with the security arrangements and preparedness for the polling like deployment of election staff, check of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), distribution of voter slips and cards and security arrangements for the polling stations.
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