Election Commission on Saturday said the administration is fully prepared for holding the assembly polls even as it sought further consultations before coming to final conclusion about scheduling of the polls in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir.
"The preparedness of the administration for the conduct of election is thorough. They are fully prepared…. We have to make some more consultation before we come to final conclusion about scheduling of election. We will go back and will be announcing it as soon as we make up our minds," VS Sampath, chief election commissioner, told reporters after a day-long visit.
Election Commission also clarified in the event of holding polls, it will not interfere with the relief work. "We can tell you this much even in the event of our deciding to hold elections, in all our election instructions, the election will never interfere with relief work," Sampath said.
Sampath was leading the full commission comprising two election commissioner — HS Brahma and Naseem Zaidi – which arrived here on Saturday to hold consultations with political parties, state administration and police and security officials to assess the situation.
Election Commission visit has come at a time when Omar Abdullah's National Conference has publically demanded deferring the polls given the floods that wreaked havoc in Jammu and Kashmir.
The party's demand, however, seems not in sync with his administration which has told the Election Commission in no uncertain terms that they are fully prepared for the polls.
Other major political parties including main opposition People's Democratic Party is pressing for timely elections in a bid to cash in on the follies of the ruling National Conference. Observers believe that timely elections will hurt NC badly as the anger against the party is mounting due to shoddy rescue, relief and rehabilitation of the flood victims.
The term of 89-member (two of them nominated) Legislative Assembly is ending on January 19. Unlike other states, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has six-year term given its special status in the Indian union. Omar Abdullah led NC-Congress alliance had taken oath on January 5, 2009 and the assembly was constituted on January 19.
"We have had discussions with all recognised political parties in the state. We started our discussion with a briefing by the principal secretary relief and revenue and principal secretary power department. We wanted to have a clear idea of status of relief measures and infrastructure essential for conduct of elections," said Sampath.
The Election Commission had video conferencing with all district collectors, district magistrate and districts SPs to ascertain status of damage to infrastructure, polling stations and the security situation. "Having taken note of all these things, the commission will be going back to Delhi to make further consultation before making up their mind and making any announcement in this regard," he said.
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