Ready for assembly elections: J&K guv

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik said on Friday the administration was ready to hold assembly polls in the state but it was up to the Election Commission to take a call.

“It depends upon the Election Commission to decide. As far as we are concerned, we are fully prepared to hold assembly elec- t i ons. The EC can hold Lok Sabha and as s e mbly pol l s simultaneously,” he told reporters after the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected sarpanches in Jammu.

Last November, the Election Commission (EC) had said elections in Jammu and Kashmir woul d b e h e l d wi t h i n s i x months. It did not rule out the possibility of holding the state elections before the Lok Sabha polls due in April-may this year.

Jammu and Kashmir plunged into political uncertainty on June 19 last year after the Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition gove r nment was r e duced t o a minority following withdrawal of support by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The state then came under Governor’s rule for six months, after the expiry of which President’s rule was imposed on December 20. Earlier, on November 21, the assembly was dissolved by the gover- nor in a late-night move.

According to the Supreme Court, elections must be held within six months from the date of dissolution of the assembly.

On Tuesday, former chief minister Omar Abdullah said the assembly polls should be held “as soon as possible”. He also took a dig at some politicians and bureaucrats for “creating hurdles” in the way of conducting state polls with the upcoming general elections.