Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer PK Pole on Saturday said that the Home Ministry is providing security for conducting the upcoming assembly elections in the Union Territory. Speaking to ANI, Pole said that the Home Ministry has taken this decision in view of the security challenges in the Jammu and Kashmir region and to ensure a peaceful election process.
“There have been security challenges in J&K for the past 2-3 decades. There has been a decrease (in terror incidents) in recent years. It is an on and off situation. We have made elaborate security arrangements. For candidates, political parties, our RO officers, observers, strong rooms, all this was taken up with the Home Ministry and accordingly, security is being provided,” Pole told ANI. He was speaking on security arrangements for the upcoming elections in J&K.
He said the Lok Sabha elections were conducted peacefully. “There will be no political violence. We are fully prepared (for any kind of situation).” When asked about additional deployment of security forces at polling booths in Doda in view of recent terror incidents, he said, “In areas where the activities of anti-national elements have increased recently, we are providing additional security and have also activated Gram Raksha Samitis. So, overall it seems that the elections will be peaceful.”
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The results will be declared on October 4. Ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, the Congress and the National Conference announced a pre-poll alliance and said “they have reached a consensus on most of the seats.” Congress and National Conference had contested the Lok Sabha elections in alliance with each other. The National Conference won two seats – Anantnag and Srinagar. The Congress did not win any seat. In the first phase, polling will be held on 24 assembly seats on September 18.
The seats where voting will be held in the first phase are Pampore, Tral, Ulawama, Rajpora, Zainapora, Shopian, D H Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Shrigufwara-Bijbehara, Shangas-Anantnag East, Pahalgam, Inderwal, Kishtwar, Pader-Nagseni, Bhaderwah, Doda, Doda West, Ramban and Banihal. Voting will be held on a total of 90 assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir. The last assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held in 2014. Counting of votes will take place on October 4.
