J&K assembly elections may be held in coming months
By: Tariq Shah VOV
Srinagar
There are enough indications that assembly elections would be held in Jammu and Kashmir in a few months. The Election Commission of India has appointed district election officers (DEOs), electoral registration officers (EROs) and assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs) before unveiling a schedule for revision of electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier Delimitation Commission has completed its exercise and has given its report to the government which is now official. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly said that after the delimitation exercise, assembly elections would be held in UT of Jammu and Kashmir and statehood would be restored after the elections. He has not only connected the statehood with after the elections but also with the situation. He has said that statehood would be restored in Jammu and Kashmir only after peace returns completely.
According to a notification, a copy of which is in possession of the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), all 20 deputy commissioners have been designated as DEOs. The commission has also specified the constituencies over which the DEOs shall exercise jurisdiction.
In another notification, the poll-body has appointed 90 officers as electoral registration officers for 90 Assembly segments of Jammu & Kashmir.
It has also appointed 243 officers as assistant electoral registration officers to assist EROs of 90 assembly segments.
Of them, 112 have been appointed as AEROs for 47 seats of Kashmir and 131 as AEROs for 43 seats of Jammu.
The commission has also appointed two officers as AEROs for cantonment areas of Srinagar and Jammu.
It has also appointed three officers as AEROs for Kashmiri migrants who will assist the EROs of 47 assembly segments of Jammu and Kashmir.
As already reported, the draft electoral rolls will be ready by August 31, following which revision of the voter list would be carried out.
Sources told KNO that elections could be held in the month of November – December this year or March- April next year.
With KNO inputs
