Assembly, Parliament Polls Likely To Be Held Together

SRINAGAR — State elections in Jammu and Kashmir are likely to be held along the Lok Sabha polls due to be held across India between April and May this year, reports said on Wednesday.

Quoting an official, a report said that discussions on the state and general elections in Jammu and Kashmir are likely to begin this week on the sidelines of a workshop held by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi.

The day-long workshop will be attended by chief electoral officers (CEO) of all states and union territories. Jammu and Kashmir’s CEO Shailendra Kumar will also be among the participants of the workshop, the official said.

 “The first meeting in the run up to the election will likely be held in Delhi this week. The CEO of Jammu and Kashmir will be in attendance and it is possible that he would be asked to apprise the ECI about situation in the state, especially the Kashmir region,” the official said.

Kumar said that he would be travelling to New Delhi this week, but added that he “didn’t know yet if he would be called in for a meeting” by ECI officials who are responsible for conducting elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

 “Whatever the directions are from the ECI, they will be followed in the state and across the country. As far as my visit to Delhi is concerned, I am travelling to attend a workshop for chief electoral officers. CEOs from all over the country will be attending the workshop. I don’t know yet if I will be asked to update ECI about the situation in the state, but if that is the case, I am ready to do so,” Kumar told Huffpost India.

The development comes just days after Home Minister Rajnath Singh informed the Rajya Sabha that the Centre was prepared to hold elections in the state.

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