Omar for assembly polls in JK immediately after LS election, does not favour coalition govt

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah favours early Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and has expressed the hope that the people of the state will give mandate for a single party rule, instead of a coalition government in the state as has been witnessed since 2002.

In an interview to PTI, the former chief minister said assembly election in the state can be held in a three-to-five week period soon after the Lok Sabha polls are over as adequate security forces will be available.

The final phase of Lok Sabha election is on May 19 and the counting of votes is on May 23.

"We definitely have a window (after the Lok Sabha polls and before Amarnath Yatra). It is possible to hold assembly elections in J-K over a three-to-five-week period. You can start with the last couple of phases of Parliament elections, if you like. Then you have the entire month of June to have elections," Abdullah said.

The National Conference vice president said he had no reason to believe that Election Commission was not looking at the possibility of conducting the assembly election in the state at the earliest.

He, however, said there should not be any delay in polls due to Amarnath Yatra, which starts from the first week of July, as the annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas is limited to two assembly segments.

There is heavy security deployment for Amarnath Yatra in the state due to fear of terror attacks.

"If (Muslim fasting month of) Ramzaan is not a hindrance to Parliament elections, why is Amarnath yatra a hindrance to assembly elections?
"The worst thing you can do in an election is to convey to the voters that you are taking them for granted."
Abdullah, who has maintained that NC will contest all 87 seats of the state assembly whenever the polls are held, expressed the hope that people of the state will give majority to a single party