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What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
SRINAGAR: The Election Commission of India is visiting Jammu and Kashmir next week to evaluate election arrangements. This visit is interpreted as a signal that the Assembly elections in the Union Territory of J&K will likely occur before the Supreme Court’s September 30 deadline.
The entire commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, will engage with administrative officials and political party representatives in Srinagar and Jammu from August 8 to 10, as announced on Friday. Official sources revealed to The New Indian that the commission is anticipated to declare the Assembly election dates shortly after August 15 to adhere to the September 30 deadline.
Last December, the Supreme Court’s five-judge Constitutional bench, in its ruling on Article 370, mandated the election body to conduct Assembly elections in the Union Territory by September 30. The court also urged the Central Government to expedite the restoration of statehood.
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On Wednesday, the Commission instructed the Jammu and Kashmir administration to reassign officials serving in their home districts and those involved in the election process who will complete a three-year term by September 30. The Central Government has recently modified the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, significantly expanding the lieutenant governor’s powers in the Union Territory.
These amendments align with the Delhi Union Territory framework, where the elected government has limited control over the bureaucracy, and substantial authority is vested in the Lieutenant Governor. During his June visit to Srinagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Assembly elections would be conducted soon in Jammu and Kashmir, followed by the restoration of statehood.
