EC team in J-K to meet political parties, review state's poll preparations

A team of the Election Commission of India is set to review on Thursday the preparedness for assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and take feedback from political parties, officials said.

The team led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar arrived here this morning and is set to meet with representatives of political parties at the Sheri Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).

The office of the chief electoral officer, Jammu and Kashmir, had on Tuesday issued letters to various political parties, inviting them for a meeting with the ECI.

The political parties have been given time slots for the meeting with the Election Commission.

Representatives of various political parties, including the National Conference (NC), People's Democratic Party (PDP), BJP, Congress, and Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party arrived at the SKICC to meet the ECI team, the officials said.

Several senior officials of police and civil administration, including J-K Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole, also arrived at the SKICC, they said.

The ECI will review preparedness for Assembly polls, weeks before the Supreme Court's September 30 deadline for holding elections in the Union Territory.

Kumar is accompanied by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu.

The Commission will also review the preparations with election officers and police superintendents of all districts, as well as the chief secretary and the director general of police.

The three-day visit will culminate on August 10 at Jammu where the ECI will take a review meeting with enforcement agencies. It will also hold a press conference in Jammu to brief the media on the review process.

Earlier in March this year, Kumar -- who was then the sole member of the three-member Commission to visit the Union Territory -- had assured political parties and the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the poll panel would soon hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

At that time, the two posts of Election Commissioners were vacant. They were filled days before the Lok Sabha polls were announced on March 16.

After a record turnout in the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Kumar had said, "This active participation is a huge positive for Assembly elections to be held soon so that the democratic process continues to thrive in the Union Territory."

Besides meeting the political parties, the Commission will also review the situation with the chief electoral officer and the central forces coordinator.