J-K politicians pip Haryana's in seeking permissions for rallies, venues

Politicians in Jammu and Kashmir have sought and received around four times more permissions for organising rallies and booking meeting venues than their counterparts in Haryana, official data shows.

While assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir are being held in three phases beginning September 18, in Haryana the democratic exercise will take place in a single phase on October 5.

According to data available with offices of chief electoral officers of Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, over 3,100 permissions for rally grounds and halls have been granted so far in the Union territory via the Election Commission's Suvidha application.

In Haryana, the number of permissions stand at over 850, according to latest data available on the Suvidha application.

During their review visit to Jammu and Kashmir on September 11 and 12, EC officials have told the UT administration that no last-minute restrictions would be imposed on the number of participants allowed in rallies or meetings.

The administration was also instructed that permission should be granted for political gatherings with due diligence and without any bias or without any undue interference.

The application caters to permissions for organising rallies, booking venues, opening temporary party offices, door-to-door canvassing, video vans, use of helicopters and helipads, obtaining vehicle permits and distributing pamphlets.

A total of 458 candidates are in fray across 50 seats in phase 1 and phase 2 of assembly polls in the UT. This includes 219 candidates across 24 seats in phase 1 and 239 candidates across 26 constituencies in Phase 2.

Pulwama and Anantnag, which are considered hotbeds of militancy, have also seen higher enthusiasm and participation with 45 candidates contesting from Pulwama, which is an increase of 45 per cent from the 2014 assembly polls, while 64 candidates are contesting from Anantnag as compared to 54 in 2014, officials said citing data.