lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Jan 29, 2019 20:13 IST

As an Election Commission of India team has deferred its visit to J&K, former chief minister and NC vice president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party are both trying to get elections in the state postponed.

A poll panel team was scheduled to visit the state and after meeting officials, would have taken a decision regarding the holding of assembly elections in the state. The National Conference and Congress have been urging the government to hold both assembly and parliament elections in the state simultaneously.

Abdullah, speaking to reporters in south Kashmir, said that they have come to know that visit of the election commission team has been postponed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting all three regions of the state. “National Conference has always maintained that the elections shouldn’t be postponed. There are Supreme Court directions that elections should be held within six months. This is a test for Modi sahib. Has the situation deteriorated to such a level that elections couldn’t be held on time? It is Modi sahib who has to decide it,’’ he said.

He also said that if the situation is so bad and elections couldn’t be held, then his party will have to decide their plans accordingly. “We have heard that both PDP and BJP leaders are seeking deferment of the assembly elections. We have made it clear that Modi sahib has to take the decision that could the elections in J&K be held on time or not and if elections are not held on time, then it means Modi sahib has worsened the situation in Kashmir.’’

According to plans, the EC team headed by chief election commissioner, Sunil Arora was scheduled to visit the state on January 27 and 28 to meet the officials and make an on the spot assessment of the ground situation whether the assembly and Lok Sabha polls could be held in the state simultaneously. However, the visit was postponed at the last moment. In the political circles, there are now rumours that the assembly and Lok Sabha elections could be held separately due to the prevailing situation.

The governor’s administration recently held Municipal and Panchayat polls which were boycotted by the PDP and the NC. However, after the local body elections, both the parties are busy in election preparations along with other national and regional parties. Former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti, and Abdullah and his father and party chief Farooq Abdullah are travelling to different parts of the state readying their cadres and leaders for the elections.