Jammu, Mar 13: Stating that the Commission is concerned about holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday said that the ECI will soon take a call on holding Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir after consultations with all the political parties and the security agencies along with other stakeholders.

“We are concerned about Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and majority of the political parties during our meetings in Srinagar and Jammu have demanded that Assembly and Lok Sabha polls be held simultaneously,” CEC told media persons here at a press conference.

“The decision on whether to hold two elections concurrently will be taken after thorough consultations and deliberations with the security agencies and political parties. The elections will be held soon without much delay,” he added.

Rajiv Kumar said that elections will be held in a peaceful and transparent manner, adding, “there will be free and fair polls in Jammu and Kashmir.”

On State Bank of India submitting details of electoral bonds, the CEC stated that he will share all relevant information in time.

“The SBI was supposed to submit the data by March 12. They have given us the details in time. I will go back and look at the data (and) would definitely disclose it in time,” Kumar said.

The claim comes in the wake of the Supreme Court directing the SBI to submit the details of the electoral bonds purchased since April 12, 2019 to the EC. SBI is the authorised financial institution to issue the electoral bonds.
The CEC was on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to review preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

He also added that the people above 85 years and those with disability will be provided voting at home facilities in Jammu and Kashmir.

UNI