J&K Poll Dates Going Past Top Court Deadline? Election Body Chief Responds

There is no delay, underscored the Chief Election Commissioner when pointed out that the polls dates for Jammu and Kashmir are crossing the September 30 deadline set by the Supreme Court.

Jammu and Kashmir, where previous assembly elections were held in the 2014, will have polls in three phases - September 18, 25 and October 1, the Election Commission announced today. The votes will be counted on October 4.

The decision to hold fresh elections follows a December order by Supreme Court that rejected petitions challenging the revocation of Kashmir's special status and set a deadline of September 30 for holding the polls.

"The Amarnath Yatra ends on August 19. The parliamentary polls ended on June 4,6. Thereafter bad weather, Amarnath Ji Yatra. There is no way one could have gone exactly on the date which is 19th. We are not giving even half a day when one could have started. And it is well begun within the time period and it will be finished in time," said Rajiv Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner.

"So, it is not a day here and there which is important. What is important is that we go by the spirit. The amendments to J&K Reorganization Act, in terms of providing the reservations, came in December 2023 so the time period for the Commission started only in December 2023. Thereafter came the parliamentary elections, so we are not delayed at all," the Chief Election Commissioner stressed.

Jammu and Kashmir's special status was revoked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in 2019 and the state was split into two federally-administered territories.

Nearly 9 million people are registered to vote for the 90-member legislative assembly, the election panel said.

The territory recorded its highest turnout of 58.46% in 35 years in parliamentary elections held in April and May this year.

The Modi government and election officials said this reflected the faith of Kashmir's voters in the democratic process.

Amid an uptick in the terror-related incidents in the recent past, the Chief Election Commissioner said, "Security threats to candidates will be thoroughly under the radar of the establishment and will be taken care of."

"There is festival season in J&K. There is season of apple. Of Jasmine. Of Saffron. There are shikaras and tulips. There is a Gurez festival also. All these things have come together," said the top poll officer, underlining that the time is right for the polls.