June 3rd 2024.
In an announcement made on Monday, the Election Commission shared their plans to kickstart the process of holding Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, expressed their enthusiasm towards this decision, citing the impressive voter turnout during the recent Lok Sabha elections as a testament to the eagerness of the people to participate in the democratic process.
"We are very enthused by the voter turnout in J&K during the Lok Sabha elections. It reflects the strong desire of the people to exercise their right to vote, and we are honored to be a part of this moment," Kumar shared during a press conference held in New Delhi.
With a turnout of 58.58%, the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir saw the highest voter turnout in the past four decades. In the Kashmir valley alone, the voter turnout was recorded at 51.05%, according to Kumar.
During the announcement of the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections in March, Kumar had mentioned that conducting both Assembly and parliamentary elections simultaneously was not feasible due to logistical and security concerns. However, the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will mark the first electoral exercise since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 and the division of the state into two union territories.
Typically, the electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir takes place over the course of a month. However, following a delimitation exercise, the number of Assembly seats in the union territory has increased from 83 to 90, excluding those allocated to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
In December, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to conduct Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30. This decision has been received with great anticipation and excitement, as it will allow the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their right to vote and participate in the democratic process once again.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
