CEC OP Rawat
Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat on Thursday said that Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held within the next six months.
Rawat did not rule out the possibility of holding polls in the state before the Lok Sabha polls scheduled to be held next year.
The CEC pointed out that the outer limit for holding fresh polls after dissolution of a house is six months, according to the Supreme Court ruling.
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He added that in case of Jammu and Kashmir, the outer limit is May 2019.
“The Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls must be held on the first occasion before May ... it could be held before parliament elections also,” Rawat said.
The CEC made it clear that the Commission will decide on poll dates after “considering all aspects.”
He said, SC verdict, an outcome of Presidential reference, also said polls will have to be held on the first occasion which means even before six months.
He said the same principle was applied in Telangana where the assembly was dissolved prematurely.
The state Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the assembly on Wednesday evening, after People’s Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti staked claim to form government along with her arch-rival Omar Abdullah’s National Conference (NC) and the Congress.They claimed the support of 56 lawmakers in the 87-member state assembly.
Shortly after, People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone also staked claims to form the government. Lone, who has two lawmakers, said he had the support of the BJP’s 25 legislators and “more than 18” others.
(With PTI inputs)
