The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is understood to have given detailed briefing to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on security situation in Jammu and Kashmir for conduct of Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory. The briefing comes ahead of the Commission’s two day visit to the UT on March 12 and 13.
Jammu and Kashmir will be getting second highest number of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) companies after West Bengal for the Parliamentary polls scheduled to be held in April and May.
The EC top brass is also learnt to have discussed with Home Ministry officials the possibility of holding Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir alongside State Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, official sources told.
While the Supreme Court had in December last directed the EC to hold Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, there was no official word on whether Assembly polls in J-K can be held with Lok Sabha polls expected to take place in April-May.
Whenever Assembly elections are held in J-K, they will be the first since Article 370 of the Constitution was abrogated and Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two Union Territories in 2019.
The electoral exercise in Jammu and Kashmir is usually spread over a month.
Following the delimitation, the number of Assembly seats has gone up from 83 to 90, excluding the seats allocated to Pakistan Occupied Jammu Kashmir. Besides, there is provision of five nominated seats including two each for women and Kashmiri migrants and one for PoJK refugee.
In December last, the Supreme Court had directed the poll panel to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30.
 is understood to have given detailed briefing to the Election Commission of India (ECI)){kind=link}