The Election Commission (EC) would hold a meeting with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Wednesday to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir where it plans to hold assembly polls.
Sources said EC would meet the Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla in the national capital tomorrow.
“During the meeting, the EC would seek feedback from the Home Secretary about the security situation in J&K. The EC would seek a detailed report on the security situation in Jammu region, which has seen a sudden surge in terror incidents and attacks on security forces,” they said.
The feedback from the Home Secretary is critical for EC to take a final call on holding Assembly elections in J&K.
In December last year, Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to hold J&K Assembly polls by September 30.
The CEC Rajiv Kumar and two Election Commissioners visited J&K last month and reviewed the poll preparedness in the UT.
While addressing a press conference, CEC had emphasised that EC was committed to holding assembly elections in the Union Territory at the earliest.
After record turnout in the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Kumar had said, “This active participation is a huge positive for assembly elections to be held soon so that the democratic process continues to thrive in the Union Territory.”
As and when Assembly elections are held in Jammu and Kashmir, it will be the first since abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories by centre on August 5, 2019.
The electoral exercise in Jammu and Kashmir is usually spread over a month.
Following a delimitation exercise, the number of assembly seats has gone up from 83 to 90, excluding those allocated to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The EC recently ordered updation of electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir and three other states.