Amid Indo-Pak tension, a team of the Election Commission of India (ECI) headed by Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Sharma is on a two-day visit to the Valley to review the preparedness for the upcoming Parliamentary polls in the state.The team, official sources said, is holding meetings with leaders of J&K political to solicit their opinion about the polls. The team will also take stock of the prevailing security situation, more so, after the Pulwama attack and the current Indo-Pak stand-off.
In this connection, the team will hold discussions with the senior administrative officials and deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police of ten districts to ask their opinion.
Kashmir based major political parties like the National Conference and People’s Democratic Party have sought the simultaneous holding of the parliament and Assembly polls.
Earlier, taking a dig on the NDA government for displaying ambiguity about the polls in the state, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the decision to hold election in the state presented the Prime Minister Narendra Modi with its “moment of truth” on Kashmir.
“Will the Modi government bow before those forces of separatism & terror that have always sought to disrupt/delay polls in J&K or will polls take place on schedule? The moment of truth for PM Modi’s handling of Kashmir over the last 5 years,” Omar had tweeted.
“Will PM Modi be able to keep to this schedule or will he accept he’s totally mishandled J&K? The next few days will give us the answer,” he added.
