JAMMU: With a summary revision of electoral rolls, the process of rationalisation of polling stations going on and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines started reaching Jammu and Kashmir, the possibility of holding the much-awaited Assembly polls in the Union Territory (UT) have brightened.
While the Election Commission (EC) has directed that the entire exercise of special summary revision to be completed by October 31, 2022 with final publication of electoral rolls, the process of rationalisation of polling stations is likely to be finalised by the end of this month.
Sources said in some of the districts, the list of draft polling stations have been released after rationalisation, while others are in the process of doing so. “The task is likely to be completed by July 25,” a source said and added that major changes were required in the districts where new Assembly seats were created or boundaries of the segments were altered after the completion of delimitation exercise in May this year.
Sources said the VVPATs have also started reaching Jammu and Kashmir from Hyderabad and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has directed all District Electoral Officers to make arrangements for their collection and lodging in safe areas.
“The VVPATs will be delivered to all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir,” the source said and added that the EC has already asked the J&K CEO to collect 14,850 VVPATs from Hyderabad.
Sources said the EC will take a security review of the situation later this year before taking a final call on holding the much-awaited Assembly polls elections in the UT. J&K has been without an elected government since June 2018 when the BJP broke its alliance with PDP, forcing the chief minister of the PDP-BJP alliance Mehbooba Mufti to resign.
“It is unlikely that the polls will be held this year. In all likelihood, the Assembly elections in J&K may be held after March-April 2023,” they added.Agencies
