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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has formally commenced the process of conducting Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
This development aligns with the statement made by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, who expressed the expectation that the people of J&K will soon have a democratically elected government in the Union Territory.
The last Assembly election in J&K was held in 2014, resulting in a coalition government formed by the BJP and the PDP under the leadership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Following the demise of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in 2016, his daughter Mehbooba Mufti assumed the role of coalition leader.
On June 18, 2019, the BJP withdrew its support from the coalition government, leading to Mehbooba Mufti's resignation as Chief Minister.
Consequently, Governor's Rule was imposed in J&K, followed by President's Rule.
On August 5, 2019, J&K was designated as a Union Territory after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.
Since then, the Lieutenant Governor has been the head of the Union Territory of J&K.
The Election Commission's announcement signifies a significant step towards restoring democratic governance in J&K.
The process of accepting applications for common symbol allotment under Para 10B of the election symbols (Reservation & Allotment) order 1968 has commenced with immediate effect, paving the way for political parties to participate in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Source: Election Commission Officially Starts Assembly Polls Exercise In J&K