Kept promise of shorter election period for polls: CEC Rajiv Kumar

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Friday said the poll authority has kept its promise of having shorter poll period by holding assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir in three phases as compared to the five rounds in which Lok Sabha elections were held in the Union territory.

The last assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir were held in five phases when Ladakh was part of the erstwhile state.

Addressing a press conference here to announce the schedule for assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, Kumar said on June 3 -- a day before counting of results for Lok Sabha elections -- the Election Commission had promised that it will make election periods short.

"In true spirit of keeping that promise, we present the shorter election period in the best possible and conducive environment," he said.

Lok Sabha elections were held in seven phases during summer period which had led to criticism from certain quarters about the long duration of the polling process.