SRINAGAR: Days before the poll schedule announcement, an Election commission team visited Jammu and Kashmir to assess the poll preparedness in the State. The ECI visit has taken place amid intense speculation whether the state assembly polls will also be held simultaneously with the General Elections.
On Monday, delegations of National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, Pradesh Congress Committee and other smaller parties met the EC team headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora to put forth their views about holding of assembly elections in the state. The officials said the team will leave for Jammu later in the day and hold similar interactions there.
Sources claimed that most of the parties are in favour of holding the State assembly polls with the general elections.
The Commission will meet representatives of few parties in Jammu region on March 5. Moreover, the team will meet the concerned senior officials to take their view point on security situation and election preparedness. The team will assess the situation regarding deployment of para-military forces and police and militancy-related situation with relation to polls.
Thereafter, the poll panel is expected to take fresh assessment of the situation in the state from the Ministry of Home Affairs before announcing its decision on conduct of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, jointly or separately.
An EC official said that the Commission could take a decision on conduct of both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the State only after assessing the situation in the State and this might be announced in next few days probably on March 8 or 9.
Jammu and Kashmir has six Lok Sabha seats including two in Jammu region, three in Kashmir and one in Ladakh. Sources said that conducting simultaneous elections for Parliament and Assembly in the State is a tough task given the disturbed conditions in the Valley and at the borders.