J&K polls after Lok Sabha Elections — EC explains why; Omar Abdullah questions ‘One Nation One Election’ idea

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday that the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. 

Speaking at a press conference, Kumar said political parties in in Union Territory along with parliamentary or Lok Sabha polls. 

"...but the entire administrative machinery said it cannot be done simultaneously" from the security point of view, said Kumar.

Why J&K polls will be held after Lok Sabha Elections 2024?

The Chief Election Commissioner cited the "administrative machinery" as telling him that if assembly polls are held along with the , then each assembly segment would have around 10-12 candidates. This would mean around 1,000 candidates.

"And in J&K, every candidate is to be provided with two section force. This would mean we need additional companies of around 1000, 500, 400 personnel…," the CEC said.

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Kumar argued that since there will be security demand in the entire country during voting for the , “it was appearing to be difficult to provide security for a particular state (Jammu and Kashmir for assembly elections at the same time".

"But we stand committed that once these Lok Sabha Elections 2024 are over, we will have forces available with us and we will immediately hold elections there (Jammu and Kashmir)," Kumar said.

Earlier earlier explained that the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was amended in December 2023 after a delimitation exercise and the clock had started ticking for the Election Commission (EC) since then.

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"The . There was a provision for 107 seats, 24 of which were in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Then the delimitation commission came and there was a change in the seats…The Reorganisation Act and