03-28-2024     3 رجب 1440

Election can wait

March 12, 2019 |

After many delays, speculations and consultations, the Election Commission of India has decided not to hold the state assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir due to security reasons. The Lok Sabha polls for six seats in J&K will be held in five phases with elections for Anantnag parliamentary seat that is lying vacant since PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti resigned to ascend the throne of the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in 2016, to be held in three phases. While some experts many read the election commission’s decision to delay the assembly polls as a subtle admission of the Centre’s failure to restore normalcy in the state, the ECI has said that the decision has been taken keeping in view the security demands of the candidates who will be in the polling fray. After holding a series of meetings in Kashmir last week, the regional parties had urged the commission to hold Lok Sabha and state assembly elections together. However, the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Valley, is not conducive by any measure. The fear of attacks by militants on candidates or polling booths can’t be ruled out given the manner in which the situation is panning out this year in the Valley. Even though the Centre, through the state administration, has launched a massive crackdown on militants as well as separatists, the situation in the Valley continues to remain on the boil. There is every chance that the Kashmir crisis may only worsen if state assembly elections are held under prevailing circumstances. The acknowledgement of the deteriorating Kashmir situation was made by none other than the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora who stated that there is requirement of “large number of security personnel to be deployed for protection of every candidate.” Also, there is every likelihood that Lok Sabha elections, which have historically recorded a low voter turnout, will have a drag down effect on the state assembly elections if the two are held together. Election is not just an exercise. It is an exercise of the will of the people. The more the number of participants in the process, the more credibility it has. Although the recent local bodies and Panchayat polls were held without any violence, the fact that some candidates were elected merely with their own votes and votes of their families undermined the whole idea behind the electoral process. Another such election will render the concept of democracy meaningless. In this light, the ECI’s move to delay state elections is welcome. Let the situation improve. Elections can wait.

Election can wait

March 12, 2019 |

After many delays, speculations and consultations, the Election Commission of India has decided not to hold the state assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir due to security reasons. The Lok Sabha polls for six seats in J&K will be held in five phases with elections for Anantnag parliamentary seat that is lying vacant since PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti resigned to ascend the throne of the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in 2016, to be held in three phases. While some experts many read the election commission’s decision to delay the assembly polls as a subtle admission of the Centre’s failure to restore normalcy in the state, the ECI has said that the decision has been taken keeping in view the security demands of the candidates who will be in the polling fray. After holding a series of meetings in Kashmir last week, the regional parties had urged the commission to hold Lok Sabha and state assembly elections together. However, the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Valley, is not conducive by any measure. The fear of attacks by militants on candidates or polling booths can’t be ruled out given the manner in which the situation is panning out this year in the Valley. Even though the Centre, through the state administration, has launched a massive crackdown on militants as well as separatists, the situation in the Valley continues to remain on the boil. There is every chance that the Kashmir crisis may only worsen if state assembly elections are held under prevailing circumstances. The acknowledgement of the deteriorating Kashmir situation was made by none other than the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora who stated that there is requirement of “large number of security personnel to be deployed for protection of every candidate.” Also, there is every likelihood that Lok Sabha elections, which have historically recorded a low voter turnout, will have a drag down effect on the state assembly elections if the two are held together. Election is not just an exercise. It is an exercise of the will of the people. The more the number of participants in the process, the more credibility it has. Although the recent local bodies and Panchayat polls were held without any violence, the fact that some candidates were elected merely with their own votes and votes of their families undermined the whole idea behind the electoral process. Another such election will render the concept of democracy meaningless. In this light, the ECI’s move to delay state elections is welcome. Let the situation improve. Elections can wait.


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