June 21st 2024.
The Election Commission announced on Friday that it is making preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand. Along with these states, the electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir will also be updated. The qualifying date for the roll updation has been set as July 1, 2024. This date is important as it helps determine the number of voters in a state or in the country on a given day.
For the recently held Lok Sabha polls, the voters' list was updated with January 1 as the qualifying date. The current legislative assemblies in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand are set to end on November 3, November 26, and January 5, 2025 respectively. The elections for these assemblies need to be conducted before their terms expire. Additionally, elections in Jammu and Kashmir will also be held to form a new house after the delimitation of constituencies.
During his visit to the valley, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his plans to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir soon. He also emphasized the importance of allowing the people of Jammu and Kashmir to elect their representatives for the assembly. The Election Commission took note of the high voter turnout in the recent Lok Sabha elections and has directed for the updating of electoral rolls in the Union Territory with July 1, 2024 as the qualifying date.
In a clear indication of the upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission has decided to accept applications for allotment of 'common symbols' from registered unrecognised parties in the UT. This has been done under Para 10 B of the Election Symbols Order, 1968, where registered unrecognised parties can apply for a 'common symbol' six months prior to the end of the term of a House. As there is currently no functional assembly in Jammu and Kashmir, the EC has invited applications for symbols.
Recognised national and state parties have their 'reserved symbols', but registered unrecognised parties have to apply for one to field candidates. In case of unclaimed symbols, the remaining ones are allocated to independent candidates on the spot by the returning officer. The Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who was enthused by the high voter participation in Jammu and Kashmir, has stated that the poll panel will soon initiate the process of holding assembly polls in the Union Territory.
During the announcement of the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections in March, Kumar had mentioned that holding assembly and parliamentary elections simultaneously was not feasible due to logistical and security reasons. Whenever assembly elections are held in Jammu and Kashmir, it will be the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and the division of the state into two Union Territories in August 2019. The electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir usually takes about a month.
After the delimitation exercise, the number of assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir has increased from 83 to 90, excluding those allocated to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In December, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30. The EC has announced that pre-updation activities will begin from June 25, which includes setting up or rationalising polling stations in group housing societies for the convenience of voters.
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