Srinagar:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has commenced preparations for the upcoming assembly elections in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. As part of these preparations, the ECI has begun the process of allotting symbols to registered and unrecognized political parties, a step typically undertaken before elections.
Media reports suggested that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is expected to be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir on June 22. The legislative assembly elections will elect 90 members to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. Supreme Court asked the Centre to hold the elections no later than September 30, 2024.
This election will be the first since the revocation of the Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and the withdrawal of its statehood in 2019. The previous assembly elections took place in November-December 2014, resulting in a coalition government formed by the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as the Chief Minister.
Following the death of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7, 2016, Mehbooba Mufti was sworn in as the next Chief Minister after a brief period of Governor’s rule.
In June 2018, the BJP withdrew its support from the PDP-led government, leading to the imposition of Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir. By November 2018, the state assembly was dissolved by then-Governor Satya Pal Malik, despite several political parties expressing their readiness to form a government. Subsequently, President’s rule was imposed on December 20, 2018.