NEW DELHI: The Election Commission will hold consultations with the Union home secretary Wednesday to assess the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of scheduling assembly polls in the Union Territory, besides discussing the possible challenges and concerns as well as availability of security forces.
Some key concerns likely to come up during the deliberations between EC — represented by CEC Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu — and Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla include arranging the force logistics to secure the candidates, campaign meetings and electors, particularly as the recent uptick in terrorist activities in Jammu region has led to redeployment of forces to secure the mountain tops and counter the foreign terrorists hiding there.Even Kashmir districts like Kulgam and Anantnag have seen attacks on security personnel of late, and counter-terror operations are underway to trace and neutralise the perpetrators.
EC sources told TOI that the requirement of security forces for poll deployment is assessed as “very high” as their stepped-up presence is crucial to creating a conducive security atmosphere for campaigning and polling. More than 16,000 personnel will be needed to extend security to an average 15 candidates in each of J&K’s 90 assembly constituencies.
“Democracy is to be strengthened layer by layer… increasing voting percentage is just one layer, the others being facilitating participation by a large number of candidates, more poll rallies and meetings and the wider use of IT applications like CVigil etc. EC is committed to holding the polls in J&K with all the layers strengthened,” CEC Rajiv Kumar told TOI.
Some other factors to be considered by EC are climatic conditions in J&K, apple harvesting season, and expected seasonal migration of nomadic tribes like Gujjars and Bakarwals from the higher reaches to lower ground, over Sept and Oct.
The EC had indicated its intent to hold J&K polls within the Sept 30 deadline set by the Supreme Court by announcing the special summary revision of electoral rolls in J&K and other poll-bound states in June. An EC team visited J&K last week to assess poll preparedness and has now set up the customary meeting with MHA to discuss the security arrangements.
A source said the publication of revised J&K electoral roll with July 1, 2024 as reference date, on Aug 20 and the conclusion of Amarnath Yatra on Aug 19, shall pave the way for EC to announce polls any day after Aug 20.
Sources in the J&K security establishment said that while there are concerns about the surge in terror strikes in Jammu, “the fact remains that most of these attacks were the handiwork of foreign terrorists and targeted at security forces”. “The threat to J&K elections may, on the other hand, emanate from local terrorists and sleeper modules and target candidates and other civilians. J&K Police have largely controlled the situation in the flat areas of Kashmir and even Jammu, though the hilly regions remain a challenge. Terrorists may still carry out surprise attacks, but J&K Police are fully prepared for conduct of assembly polls as and when the EC directs,” a senior police officer told TOI.
Some key concerns likely to come up during the deliberations between EC — represented by CEC Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu — and Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla include arranging the force logistics to secure the candidates, campaign meetings and electors, particularly as the recent uptick in terrorist activities in Jammu region has led to redeployment of forces to secure the mountain tops and counter the foreign terrorists hiding there.Even Kashmir districts like Kulgam and Anantnag have seen attacks on security personnel of late, and counter-terror operations are underway to trace and neutralise the perpetrators.
EC sources told TOI that the requirement of security forces for poll deployment is assessed as “very high” as their stepped-up presence is crucial to creating a conducive security atmosphere for campaigning and polling. More than 16,000 personnel will be needed to extend security to an average 15 candidates in each of J&K’s 90 assembly constituencies.
“Democracy is to be strengthened layer by layer… increasing voting percentage is just one layer, the others being facilitating participation by a large number of candidates, more poll rallies and meetings and the wider use of IT applications like CVigil etc. EC is committed to holding the polls in J&K with all the layers strengthened,” CEC Rajiv Kumar told TOI.
Some other factors to be considered by EC are climatic conditions in J&K, apple harvesting season, and expected seasonal migration of nomadic tribes like Gujjars and Bakarwals from the higher reaches to lower ground, over Sept and Oct.
The EC had indicated its intent to hold J&K polls within the Sept 30 deadline set by the Supreme Court by announcing the special summary revision of electoral rolls in J&K and other poll-bound states in June. An EC team visited J&K last week to assess poll preparedness and has now set up the customary meeting with MHA to discuss the security arrangements.
A source said the publication of revised J&K electoral roll with July 1, 2024 as reference date, on Aug 20 and the conclusion of Amarnath Yatra on Aug 19, shall pave the way for EC to announce polls any day after Aug 20.
Sources in the J&K security establishment said that while there are concerns about the surge in terror strikes in Jammu, “the fact remains that most of these attacks were the handiwork of foreign terrorists and targeted at security forces”. “The threat to J&K elections may, on the other hand, emanate from local terrorists and sleeper modules and target candidates and other civilians. J&K Police have largely controlled the situation in the flat areas of Kashmir and even Jammu, though the hilly regions remain a challenge. Terrorists may still carry out surprise attacks, but J&K Police are fully prepared for conduct of assembly polls as and when the EC directs,” a senior police officer told TOI.