Poll Body conducting a nationwide General Election in the world’s biggest democracy?
Just a few days ago, when the election commission team led by Chief election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar arrived in srinagar on a three-day visit, political parties including Omar Abdullah’s National Conference, mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party, and the state unit of the bjp asked them for simultaneous assembly polls along with the General Elections. The last assembly election in J&K was held in 2014 when bjp formed a government along with PDP. In 2018, bjp come out of the alliance and, ever since, the former state which subsequently became a Union Territory in 2019 after the abrogation of article 370 and Article 35A has been without any elected government. In fact, last year, the apex court asked for elections to be conducted by september 2024.Conducting simultaneous assembly polls in kashmir - SRINAGAR/JAMMU' target='_blank' title='jammu and kashmir-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW">jammu and kashmir along with the lok sabha election would require a vast number of additional forces, given the history of the Union Territory. There are about 635 companies in J&K for the lok sabha election. Each company consists of 100 troops, which translates to 63,500 troops. A simultaneous assembly election would require an additional 700 companies or 70,000 troops. Such a number would not be available as 3,50,000 troops are pressed into action from maharashtra to Manipur for conducting the lok sabha polls. In West bengal alone, which has a history of poll violence, there are 900 companies or 90,000 troops.The ec also had to factor in the security of candidates in J&K. “We have to send at least two station forces for every candidate standing. So, having elections together will be a strain for security forces,” said CEC Kumar. The yatra will end on august 19, 2024. Meanwhile, the Constitution Bench of the supreme court ordered the election commission last year to conduct elections to the kashmir - SRINAGAR/JAMMU' target='_blank' title='jammu and kashmir-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW">jammu and kashmir assembly before september 30, 2024.