BJP, NC welcome announcement of poll schedule for J&K

Srinagar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Conference (NC) on Friday welcomed the announcement on Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

As per the ECI, the Assembly elections in J&K -- pending since 2014 with the former state under Governor's Rule since 2018 -- will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. Also, Haryana will go to the polls on October 1, and both results will be announced on October 4, the poll panel said.

BJP national General Secretary and in-charge for J&K, Tarun Chugh, told mediapersons that the party welcomes the announcement of election schedules for J&K and Haryana.

“The Election Commission is a highly-respected independent organisation. Its impartiality and efficiency is recognised throughout the world. We welcome the ECI decision and will contest the elections in J&K. We have removed the barriers of Articles 370 and 35A. We have liberated J&K from the shackles of ‘Do Nisan, Do Pradhan, and Do Vidhan’," Chugh said.

He also said that with people’s blessings and under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he is confident that the people of J&K will vote for the BJP in large numbers.

"The focus has shifted to tourism from terrorism, and J&K is becoming an industrial hub. There have been many positive developments under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi,” the BJP leader said.

While the National Conference also welcomed the ECI decision, it urged the poll panel to look into the recent transfers and postings made by the UT administration.

Talking to the media here, NC Chairperson Omar Abdullah said, “After 1987-88, this is the shortest phased Assembly elections to be held in J&K. While this will be a new experience for the political parties, the NC has been preparing for the polls since long and we will soon launch our campaign."

At the same time, the former J&K Chief Minister expressed reservations about the transfers and postings made by the administration headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

“The Lieutenant Governor belongs to the BJP and these transfers have been made to favour the ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ teams of the ruling party," he said.

“The Election Commission has laid emphasis on free and fair polls... It must take a review of these transfers; if they have been made in violation of the guidelines, the Election Commission must put a stop on them. We are also writing a detailed letter in this respect to the poll panel," Omar Abdullah added.

Ealrier addressing a press conference in Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said that elections in J&K will be held in three phases -- September 18, September 25, and October 1.

Counting will be held on October 4 and the entire poll process will be completed by October 6, the CEC said.

J&K has been without an elected government since June 2018 when the BJP pulled out of the PDP-BJP coalition headed by Mehbooba Mufti.

On August 5, 2019, Article 370 was abrogated as the state was bifurcated into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.