NC team not to meet EC observers in Srinagar

The National Conference said on Thursday that it will not send any delegation to meet the Election Commission observers in Srinagar as the party's demand for simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections remained unchanged.

A senior leader of the NC, who was supposed to join the party delegation scheduled to meet the three observers on Thursday, said: "Our party has decided not to call on the observers.

"NC's stand that both the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections should be held together has already been conveyed to the Election Commission during their visit to the state last time.

"Our stand on this remains unchanged and as such there is no need to meet the observers again on this issue," the party leader told IANS.

A three-member team of observers including Noor Muhammad, a retired IAS officer, A.S. Gill, former IGP, CRPF, and Vinod Zutshi, former Deputy Election Commissioner, is visiting the state to explore the possibility of holding the Assembly elections as early as possible.

Informed sources said the possibility of holding the Assembly elections before this year's Amarnath Yatra was also being discussed.

The observers are meeting representatives of political parties.

They will also interact with authorities in various districts in addition to their scheduled meetings with the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police.

--IANS

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