Jammu Kashmir Assembly Elections Expected Soon: ECI Issues Transfer Guidelines

Jammu Kashmir Assembly Elections Expected Soon: ECI Issues Transfer Guidelines

VoM News Desk | July 31, 2024 | 11:49 PM IST | Breaking News, Jammu Kashmir, Politics | Follow on Google News

Jammu Kashmir Assembly Elections Expected Soon: ECI Issues Transfer Guidelines

Jammu Kashmir Assembly Elections Expected Soon: ECI Issues Transfer Guidelines

Key Highlights:

1. J&K assembly elections expected in the near future.
2. ECI mandates transfer of officers involved in election duties.
3. Similar guidelines issued for Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has indicated that elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir are imminent. In a recent directive, the ECI emphasized the need for the transfer of officers directly involved in election-related duties to ensure impartiality and transparency in the upcoming elections.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretaries and Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the states of Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra, the ECI stated that the terms of the existing legislative assemblies of these states are nearing completion. Haryana’s assembly term ends on November 3, 2024, Jharkhand’s on January 5, 2025, and Maharashtra’s on November 26, 2024, with elections due later this year.

The ECI has consistently maintained a policy that officers connected with the conduct of elections should not be posted in their home districts or in places where they have served for extended periods. Specifically, the directive states that no officer should continue in their current district if they are posted in their home district or if they have completed three years of service in that district within the last four years. The deadlines for these transfers are set for September 30, 2024, for Jammu and Kashmir, October 31, 2024, for Haryana, November 30, 2024, for Maharashtra, and December 31, 2024, for Jharkhand.

In cases where smaller states or UTs with fewer districts face difficulties in complying with these instructions, they are advised to refer specific cases to the ECI through their CEO for possible exemptions.

This move follows the Supreme Court’s directive last year, which mandated the ECI to conduct assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30. Since the dissolution of its assembly in 2018, J&K has been without a legislative body. The ECI’s recent statement also highlighted the need for updating the electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir with July 1, 2024, as the qualifying date, reflecting the high voter turnout in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

VoM News Desk

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