Election Commission's Crucial Visit to Jammu and Kashmir Amid Poll Preparations

The Election Commission, under Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, will review assembly poll preparations in Jammu and Kashmir from August 8-10. This visit precedes the Supreme Court’s deadline for elections by September 30. The polls will be the first since the abrogation of Article 370 and the creation of Union Territories in 2019.

The Election Commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, is set to evaluate the preparedness for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir from August 8-10. This visit is crucial as it precedes the Supreme Court's deadline of September 30 for holding elections in the Union Territory.

Accompanying Kumar will be Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu. During their three-day visit, the commission will meet various stakeholders, including political party representatives, election officers, and law enforcement officials to assess the readiness for the upcoming polls.

This will be the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and its bifurcation into two Union Territories in 2019. The number of assembly seats has increased from 83 to 90, excluding those allocated to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The commission's visit will include a press conference in Jammu to update the media on their review process.

(With inputs from agencies.)