Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Friday said that Election Commission of India (ECI) is yet to take a final call on conduct of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously or separately and a decision in this connection is expected in coming few days.
Chief Electoral Officer Shailendra Kumar said that a decision in this connection will be taken in next few days after due consultations with the Union Home Ministry and security agencies providing security for the poll related activities.
He said the poll dates will also be accordingly announced hopefully in the coming week.
Meanwhile sources said that some political parties who are interested in deferment of assembly elections are spreading canards and lending view to speculations that elections can be deferred.
However sources said that it could be either way but there is more possibility of the conduct of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously then the deferment of polls as there is a Supreme Court ruling by virtue of which presidential rule cannot be extended beyond May this year.
Election Commission of India recently took a brief from all the political parties and almost all mainstream parties overtly and covertly demanded the holding of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously and opposed tooth and nail any move to defer assembly elections and they instead advised deferment of Lok Sabha polls instead of assembly polls in the state.
(With inputs from KNS)
