ECI team in J&K to review poll preparedness

ECI team in J&K to review poll preparedness

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SRINAGAR / AGENCIES

A high-level delegation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) is on a two-day visit to Jammu & Kashmir. It met representatives of 12 political parties to seek their opinion regarding the conduct of elections in the State.

Senior leaders and representatives of National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Indian National Congress (INC), Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) Communist Party of India CPI (M) People Democratic Front (PDF), Democratic Party Nationalist (DPN) National Panthers Party (NPP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), CPI, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Awami Ittihad Party (AIP) had consultations with the ECI team.

The Commission heard the representatives and assured that their concerns and feedback will be taken care of in the due process of time.

The ECI team also held a marathon meeting with the civil and police authorities including Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Zonal Police Chief, Deputy Commissioners and District Police Chiefs of Kashmir and Ladakh divisions.

The ECI team reviewed the state of preparedness of various departments of civil and police administration for ensuring free and fair elections.

The Commission asked the state authorities to mobilise people and create inducement-free and intimidation-free atmosphere by ensuring a sufficient number of security persons on the ground.

The Commission asked the state authorities to provide minimum assured facilities at polling stations and ensure that voters are able to reach the stations without any fear or hindrance. The Commission also reviewed the preparedness in terms of transportation of EVMs and polling material to the booths and deployment of staff on the day of the election.

The ECI team left for Jammu this evening where they will be conducting similar exercise tomorrow. The ECI team will be also meeting the Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam and DGP Dilbag Singh separately in the winter capital. Before winding up their visit the ECI team is scheduled to address a press conference at Jammu tomorrow evening.

The ECI team is led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora. Election Commissioners, Deputy Election Commissioner, Director General ECI, ADG (SPS), Director ECI and Chief Electoral Officer J&K are other members of ECI team.