The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially commenced the process for holding the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.
“The commission has decided to accept applications seeking allotment of common symbol under Para 10B of election symbols (Reservation & Allotment) order 1968 for the General Election to the legislative Assembly of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect,” announced Jaydeb Lahiri, Secretary of the Election Commission of India, through a press note.
This announcement follows a statement by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, in which he assured that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would soon have a democratically elected government in the Union Territory.
The last Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections took place in 2014, resulting in a coalition government of the BJP and the PDP, headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. After Chief Minister Sayeed’s death in 2016, the coalition was led by his daughter, Mehbooba Mufti. The coalition government ended when the BJP withdrew its support on June 18, 2019, leading to Mehbooba Mufti’s resignation as Chief Minister.
Following the collapse of the government, Governor’s Rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir, which was subsequently followed by President’s Rule. On August 5, 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was reconstituted as a Union Territory following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. Since then, the Union Territory has been administered by the Lieutenant Governor.
The upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections mark a significant step towards restoring a democratically elected government in the region.
