The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, set to take place in three phases during September 2024. The first phase of voting will be held on September 18, followed by the second phase on September 25, and the final phase on October 1.
With a total of 87.09 lakh voters, including 42.6 lakh women, across 90 constituencies, the elections are poised to be a significant event for the region. This will mark the first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir since 2014, as the last assembly election was held in 2014. The PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed in June 2018 when the BJP withdrew its support.
The Election Commission has assured that due security will be provided to all candidates during the elections, as per the requests made by the political parties. The timeline for the elections has been set out, with a gazette notification to be issued on September 9. Nominations must be submitted by September 12, and the next day is allocated for scrutiny of the nominations. The polls will be held on October 1, with votes being counted the following Friday.
The announcement of the election schedule comes after the Supreme Court directed the central government to conclude the election process in the Union Territory by September 30, 2024.
The Election Commission is expected to announce the schedule for the assembly elections to the 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly shortly.
Omar Abdullah, Vice President of the National Conference (JKNC), stressed the importance of early assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting the region’s need for an elected assembly since 2018. While the dates for J&K elections have been announced, the dates for the Maharashtra assembly elections are still awaited.
