Polls incoming, plans afoot to bring Assembly complexes in Jammu and Srinagar back to life

The Chief Secretary told officials to swiftly ensure the completion of work on a range of issues — the functionality of the sound system, internet connectivity, fire safety, lifts, giving a facelift to the buildings and making provisions for allied amenities.

Dulloo also told officials to work on renovating the chambers of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and the Leader of Opposition as well as making provisions for official vehicles and residential accommodation, besides carrying out repairs at the MLA hostels in both cities.

He said all the amenities should be installed before the end of the Assembly elections, the dates of which are to be announced by the Election Commission.

The last time elections were held in Jammu & Kashmir was in 2014, when a hung Assembly forced the PDP and BJP enter a post-poll alliance to form the government.

The coalition government, however, collapsed on June 19, 2018 after the BJP’s exit. On November 21, 2018, the Assembly was dissolved.

Since August 2019, Jammu & Kashmir has been under central rule following the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.

Though the new government in the Union Territory will have limited powers, all stakeholders are eagerly awaiting the elections. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said in Jammu Friday that all nine recognised parties who met the poll panel had sought the early conduct of the Assembly elections.

Kumar also said that the time has come for the people of Jammu & Kashmir to get an elected government of their own.

The CEC, who was accompanied by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, did not share a timeline for the electoral process.