EC to decide on J038;K poll schedule 8216;very quickly8217;

The Election Commission will meet Chief Secretaries of half a dozen states to find out if they can spare 4,000 to 5,000 Urdu speaking employees for poll duties in Kashmir.

In order to draw a time table for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir 8220;very quickly8221;, the Election Commission EC will meet Chief Secretaries of half a dozen states on Friday to find out if they can spare 4,000 to 5,000 Urdu speaking employees for poll duties there.

The EC, which announced the poll schedule for five states, is working on a contingency plan before taking a decision on the timing of elections in the border state.

The Commission will consult Chief Secretaries of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to know to what extent these states can spare Urdu-speaking government employees for the polls.

EC sources said the move is aimed at having a backup contingency plan in the event of government staff in the sensitive state not being able to offer their services due to some reasons.

The availability of security forces is not a problem as the Centre has expressed its readiness in this regard, the sources said, adding once the availability of Urdu-speaking polling staff is known, the EC will finalise the schedule.

8220;We will very quickly take a decision,8221; the sources said.

The change in the mind of EC, which is divided over the poll timing in Jammu and Kashmir, comes in the backdrop of the National Conference favouring early polls in the state.

Story continues below this ad

The NC along with another state party PDP had initially opposed early elections on the ground that the atmosphere was not conducive for the exercise. It had also raised doubts over the credibility of the exercise with 8220;low voter participation8221;.

With NC leader Omar Abdullah saying he now favours early polls, the sources said, the statement could augur well for the polls in the state.

8220;The statement is positive,8221; they said, adding the two state parties besides Congress and BJP are key players in the state.

The Left and the BJP have already demanded immediate polls while the Congress has left it to the EC to take a decision.

Story continues below this ad

The term of the Assembly would have ended on November 20. But the state was placed under Governor8217;s rule after PDP withdrew support to the Congress over the Amarnath issue. The elections have to be held before the Governor8217;s rule expires on January ten.