On the first day, the EC team will visit Srinagar and meet seven national and three regional parties before leaving for Jammu
Amid heightened tension after February 14 Pulwama attack, the Election Commission is visiting Jammu and Kashmir on March 4 on a two-day tour to review poll preparedness for parliamentary elections in the strife-torn state.
"Election Commission will be visiting the state on March 4 and 5. The Commission will be visiting both Srinagar and Jammu," Shailendra Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Jammu and Kashmir said.
On the first day, the EC team will visit Srinagar and meet seven national and three regional parties before leaving for Jammu.
The EC team will later meet divisional commissioners, inspector general of police, district election officers, SSPs and other officers of Kashmir and Ladakh divisions in Srinagar.
Later in the day, the poll panel team will fly to Jammu where it will be given presentation by the CEO and police nodal officers at Jammu.
However, the delegation will have a busy schedule in Jammu given the government headquarters are stationed in the temple city. Several meetings are planned between Election Commission, police and civil administration to review the preparedness. The Election commission is also scheduled to meet the chief secretary in Jammu.
Election Commission will meet 10 (seven national and three state) political parties in Jammu on the second a. Later the Election commission is schedule to address a press conference before flying back to New Delhi on March 5.
This will be the first visit of Election Commission since the collapse of PDP-BJP coliation government in Jammu and Kashmir in June last year. The visit comes at a time when there is heightened tension post Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed on February 14.
Former chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah told DNA that the general population in the state wants the return of civilian government.
"Even in Kashmir valley they do not want governor's rule and they want elected government no matter who forms it. The only people who do not want elections are separatists and militant organizations. If you are unable to conduct polls today, who has won? That Prime Minister Modi has to answer", Omar said.
Jammu and Kashmir was placed under president's rule on December 20 and as per the law the elections to the assembly has to be held within six months.
Unlike other states, the J&K has to be placed under governor's rule for six months in case of fall of the government or no party or combination is in a position to form the government. J&K was placed under governor's rule in June last year after BJP withdrew support from PDP and amid high drama the assembly was dissolved in November.
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