Satya Pal Malik, Governor of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday said that the administration is ready to hold assembly elections whenever the Election Commission of India decides to hold it.
“Whenever, they (EC) tell us, we are ready for the polls (to assembly),” he told reporters here after the oath-taking ceremony of sarpanch of Jammu region.
On IAS officer Shah Faesal’s resignation, Malik said he himself was a government employee and did not wish to comment on the matter.
The Election Commission (EC) had in November last said fresh elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be held within the next six months, even as the body did not rule out the possibility of holding the state polls before the Lok Sabha polls due this year.
“The Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls must be held on the first occasion before May. It could be held before the parliamentary elections also,” Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat had said.
He said as per the Supreme Court, the outer limit for holding fresh polls after the dissolution of the House was six months, that is May, 2019.
It may be recalled that the government of India on December 28 informed the Lok Sabha that Jammu and Kashmir Governor had no option but to recommend President’s Rule in the state as no party or alliance staked claim to form the government.
