NEW DELHI, Mar 10: The Election Commission on Sunday announced that Assembly elections to Jammu and Kashmir will not be held now and the militancy-hit state will elect four of its members of Lok Sabha in multiple phases.
”Keeping in totality of views, the Commission has decided has decided to announce the schedule only for the Parliamentary seats,” Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora told reporters here.
He said the poll panel had enlisted the views of state government and the Home ministry to assess the situation and the level of preparedness.
The Commission has also visited Jammu and Kashmir and held meetings with all political parties, important central and state agencies, he said.
Various issues, including requirement of forces for the security of the candidates, specially in the context of recent incidents in the state, the poll panel had multiple rounds of meetings and consultations with the Ministry of Home Affairs and state government representatives, Mr Arora said.
”Based on inputs, constraint of availability of central forces and other logistics and keeping other challenges in mind, the EC has decided to announce at this stage only parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The Home Ministry and the State Government sent specific detailed inputs regarding holding elections in the State, the CEC said. (UNI)
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