News Analysis India

Tag: NC

  • J&K Assembly Polls Soon After Lok Sabha Elections: CEC Rajiv Kumar |

    NEW DELHI: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, on Saturday said that assembly elections in J&K will be held soon. CEC Rajiv Kumar, while addressing a press conference, stated that assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held soon after the Lok Sabha polls.

    Speaking to reporters, CEC Rajiv Kumar addressed the issue of holding simultaneous central and state elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Kumar cited security concerns as a primary obstacle, leading the poll panel to deem it unfeasible at this time. However, he emphasized the panel’s dedication to conducting elections in the region, assuring that they would proceed following the Lok Sabha polls.

    Kumar highlighted the consensus among all parties in J&K regarding the desire for Assembly elections to coincide with parliamentary polls. Despite this shared sentiment, logistical challenges presented a significant hurdle. The sheer number of candidates expected in each Assembly segment, averaging between 10 to 12, would necessitate substantial security arrangements. Kumar explained that accommodating over 1,000 candidates would be impractical given the existing constraints.

    Nevertheless, Kumar reaffirmed the commitment of the poll panel to facilitate elections in J&K. He assured that once the current electoral processes conclude, the panel would prioritize holding polls in the region. This statement underscores the panel’s acknowledgement of the importance of democratic participation in J&K, despite the complexities involved in ensuring a secure and efficient electoral process.

    Importantly, the Lok Sabha elections in J&K will be held in five phases – April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 2. 

    The CEC also announced the dates for polls for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, which will be held in 7 phases starting from April 19. Phase 1 voting will be held on April 19, Phase 2 voting will be held on April 26, Phase 3 voting will be held on May 7, Phase 4 voting will be held on May 13, Phase 5 voting will be on May 20, Phase 6 voting will take place on May 25 and Phase 7 voting will be held on June 1. Counting of votes will be held on 4 June.

    Lok Sabha Election 2024 Full Schedule

    Phase 1 voting will be held on April 19, Phase 2 voting will be held on April 26, Phase 3 voting will be held on May 7, Phase 4 voting will be held on May 13,
    Phase 5 voting will be on May 20, Phase 6 voting will take place on May 25 and Phase 7 voting will be held on June 1. The results will be announced on June 4.

    With the formal announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha election schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has also come into effect across the country. It may be noted that the tenure of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 16 and a new House must be constituted before that. In 2019, the general elections were held over seven phases from April 11 to May 19, with results declared four days later. The BJP-led National Democratic (NDA) won a total of 303 seats, leaving the grand-old party behind at 52 seats, in the 2019 general elections. 

    Total 96.8 Crore Voters Eligible To Cast Votes: CEC 

    A total of 96.8 crore voters will be eligible to cast their vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday. Addressing a press conference here to announce the dates of Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls to four states, Rajiv Kumar said there will be 10.5 lakh polling stations and 1.5 crore polling officials and security staff will be deployed to conduct the elections in the world’s largest democracy.

    “We are committed to giving the nation a truly festive, democratic environment. The term of the 17th Lok Sabha is due to expire on 16th June 2024. The terms of the Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim are also due to expire in June 2024. Elections are due in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
    Kumar said approximately 49.7 crore voters are male and 47.1 crore voters are female.

    “We have 1.8 crore first-time voters and 19.47 crore voters between the age group of 20-29 years,” he said, adding that 88.4 lakh voters are of PwD category, 2.18 lakhs are centenarians and 48,000 are transgenders.

  • NC, PDP, Congress join hands for remaining DDC polls

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR:  The election of DDC chairmen in J&K for remaining districts may spring some surprises as in all the six councils, none of the party enjoys a clear majority, but the NC, PDP and Congress combine will attempt to wrest the control with the support of independents. 

    Of the six DDCs, four (Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar and Ramban) fall under the Jammu region, while two — Bandipora and Baramulla — belong to the Valley. In three out of four DDCs in Jammu, the NC and Congress combine are in a position to hold the control of the DDCs. It has got nine seats (NC 6, Congress 3) in Kishtwar, Ramban 8 (NC 6, Congress 2) and Rajouri 8  (NC 5, Congress 3) respectively.

    In Rajouri, the alliance has also got the support of the PDP, which has won one seat in the border district.In the Poonch district, independents have won eight of the 14 seats, while the Congress has won four and the NC two. Congress spokesman Ravindra Sharma told this newspaper that the Congress will join hands with like-minded parties, including the NC, to keep the BJP and its allies at bay.

    On the Poonch district, Sharma said: “Two of the independents are from the Congress and our strength in the district is six, and with the support of the NC, we will be able to form the DDC. Our party is also in talks with the independents.”

  • BJP repeating mistakes committed by Congress in 1984: National Conference

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: The National Conference has alleged that what Congress did in 1984 by toppling the then Farooq Abdullah government by using money power, the BJP is repeating the same in 2021 by manipulating the results of the recently-held District Development Council (DDC) chairmen elections. 

    While referring to the defections and cross-voting in the recently-held DDC chairmen elections, senior NC leader and MP Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi told The New Indian Express that the BJP is evidently and openly manipulating the DDC chairmen results.

    The six parties Gupkar Alliance, which had emerged as the single largest group with 102 out of 280 DDC seats, lost in Budgam district, where it had got a majority. In Shopian, where along with lone Congress member it was in a position to form DDC, it lost to Apni Party after defections and cross voting.

    Masoodi, who is an NC Lok Sabha MP from south Kashmir, said BJP is repeating the same mistakes of Congress from did in 1984.

    “The Congress engineered defections in NC to topple the then Farooq Abdullah government in 1984. But did that solve anything? Did that end the aspirations of people here,” he said.

    The Congress had toppled the then Farooq Abdullah government in 1984 with the help of 14 disgruntled NC legislators led by Farooq’s brother-in-law Ghulam Mohammad Shah, who was appointed as chief minister and his government lasted for about two years.

    Masoodi further stated that 1984 is the start of all bad things in J&K and “whatever ill Kashmir is facing today, it all started in 1984.” According to him, in 1984, people realised that democracy is a myth and New Delhi can change the mandate and undermine democracy on its own whim.

    “People lost faith in democracy because of 1984. If we get popular votes despite facing opposition and get a required number of seats, still there is no guarantee that through manipulative practice the mandate cannot be undermined,” Masoodi said.

    “They (BJP) are persuading and encouraging people to vote against the party and against the symbol on which he/she was elected. They won’t achieve anything from it. It is again a setback.”

    The NC MP said Congress could not achieve anything in 1984 except undermine democracy. “They ignited the fire and we are facing its consequences even today,” he said.

    In his speech in parliament, NC president and three-time former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah also alleged that BJP is repeating 1984. “I have seen it in 1984 when 14 of our people were purchased and a new government was formed. It lasted for two years and collapsed. Same thing is being repeated again today,” he said.

    The NC president alleged that democracy is being subverted as police and civil officials are attempting to manipulate the election results. “After successful conduct of DDC polls, the DCs and police officers are now attempting to manipulate the process,” Farooq had said in Lok Sabha.