Decision on elections in J&K later this year: EC

The decision to hold Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, which is under Presidents Rule, will be taken later this year after conclusion of the annual Amarnath Yatra on August 15, the Election Commission said on Tuesday.

The poll panel said, in a statement, that it will monitor the situation in Jammu and Kashmir on a real-time basis and get inputs from all necessary quarters.

The state is under President's Rule since December last year after a spell of six-month long Governor's Rule which was imposed after the PDP-BJP government collapsed.

The BJP withdrew support to the Mehbooba Mufti-led government on June 19 last year.

After the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections, hopes has arisen that Assembly polls in the state could also be held in the near future.

"Election Commission, under Article 324 of the Constitution and other extant laws/rules etc. have unanimously decided that holding of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir shall be considered later in this year," the poll panel said in its press note.

The poll panel said the election schedule will be announced after the Amarnath Yatra, which starts on July 1 and ends on August 15.

"The Commission will keep on regularly and on real time basis monitoring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, taking inputs from all necessary quarters and after the conclusion of Amarnath Yatra will announce the election schedule for the conduct of assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir," the press note added.

The Amarnath Yatra, a pilgrimage to the cave in the mountains of south Kashmir, requires a huge deployment of central forces in view of the serious terror threat.

--IANS

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