New Delhi:
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which is currently under President’s rule, are likely to be held in November this year, according to reports.
The recommendation to the poll panel has been reportedly made by Governor Satya Pal Malik who opposed the holding of assembly elections in June citing Ramzan, Amarnath Yatra and peak tourism season in the Valley for the delay.
The development comes after the poll panel held a high-level meeting today in the national capital to discuss on the assembly polls in the state. The meeting took place days after the special observers, appointed by the EC to asses the ground situation, submitted their report.
Also, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Election Officer has asked District Election Officers to appoint nodal officers for the forthcoming assembly polls in the state and submit report regarding the same.
In their report, the observers -- Noor Muhammad (former IAS officer), Vinod Zutshi (ex-IAS officer) and AS Gill (retired IPS officer) -- had given given three options to hold Assembly polls in the state.
Sources said the first option given by the observers is to hold an election between June 8-24, another alternative is to conduct the election from May 15-June 15. The third option is to hold the Assembly poll after September 15.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission is scheduled to meet again on Saturday to discuss the schedule for conducting assembly polls in the state.
Jammu and Kashmir has been under President’s rule following the termination of six months of Governors rule in December last year. The state plunged into a political crisis after the BJP withdrew its support to the government led by Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP in June last year.
