The Election Commission has formally begun the process of conducting the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.
Srinagar:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has formally begun the process of conducting the state assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
“The Commission has decided to immediately entertain the applications seeking allotment of common symbols under Section 10B of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 for general elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” Election Commission of India Secretary General Jaydev Lahiri said through a press note.
This follows a statement by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would soon have a democratically elected government in the union territory.
Jammu and Kashmir’s last state assembly elections were held in 2014, after which a BJP-PDP coalition government led by Prime Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed was formed. After his death in 2016, the coalition government was led by his daughter Mehbooba Mufti.
The BJP left the coalition government on June 18, 2019, after which Mehbooba Mufti resigned as chief minister.
Governor’s rule was implemented in Jammu and Kashmir, followed by President’s rule.
Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory on August 5, 2019, following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. Since then, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been governed by a Lieutenant Governor.
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