The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Friday, announced the polls for Jammu Kashmir’s assembly.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the ECI said,”The First phase will be held on 18 september and the elections will be held in three phases.”
2nd phase and 3rd phase will be held on 25 September and 01 October respectively, counting of the votes will be held on 04 October.
The last time Jammu Kashmir has assembly polls was in the year 2014 with the polls being held in five phases from 25 November – 20 December 2014. The People’s Democratic Party formed the government with the Bhartiya Janta Party in the state assembly.
Down the years, the relationship between the coalition partners worsened over various issues and on June 19, 2018, the Bhartiya Janta Party pulled off support from PDP and the state government fell.
One month ahead of the legal timeframe, the then governor, Satyapal Malik dissolved the assembly in November 2018.
Months later in August 2019, the central government led by BJP abrogated the articles 35-A and 370 and bifurcated in the state into two federally ruled union territories.
Though post abrogation, the BJP promised elections in the region, the party formed a delimitation commission which increased six seats in Jammu and one in Kashmir valley. The commission also withdrew the boundaries of both the assembly and parliamentary constituencies, a decision that evoked widespread criticism. A petition was also filed in the supreme court against the delimitation which had been frozen country-wide till 2026.
The Supreme court of India intervened into the matter and ordered the central government to conduct elections in Jammu Kashmir by September 30, 2024.
(With Inputs from The Kashmiriyart)
