The full team of the Election Commission is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to assess the ground realities before holding of the much awaited Assembly elections. On August 9, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar while speaking to the press said that Assembly elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest and dates would be announced after an overall review is taken when the commission returns to Delhi. The Election Commission was perhaps enthused after it witnessed huge participation of the people in the April-May Lok Sabha polls in three parliamentary constituencies in Kashmir and felt encouraged to announce that it would be holding the Assembly polls soon. The time has come for the CEC and the rest of the Election Commission to redeem their pledge. The visit by the poll panel holds some hope and promise that it may take a call on the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
In March this year, the Election Commission had ruled out simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir because of security reasons. The Election Commission was told by the administrative machinery and the security agencies that it was not possible for them to provide security to all candidates in the simultaneous poll scenario. Since the security forces were required across the country because of the Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission went ahead with the Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir, putting Assembly polls on hold. Perhaps that was a sensible decision in the given situation as a multi-layered security is required during the polls in Jammu and Kashmir and that was not possible at that particular time when the whole country was going into parliamentary elections along with Assembly polls in four states – Odisha , Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
However, the delay in the announcement of the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir has evoked serious concerns among the people across this union territory which was once the most empowered state in the country, because of its special status and the privileges that were conferred to it by Article 370 which has been revoked. The fear that has gripped the majority of the population in the union territory is that the continuation of the current status would render them as stateless people. Further, the recent announcement by the Centre to vest almost all powers of governance to the Lieutenant Governor has cast doubts and more fears. Even if elections are held, the elected representatives in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly would be powerless as all the powers will be exercised by the LG and bureaucrats. Therefore, statehood is the only way out to avert such a scenario and to restore back power to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
