Split poll panel postpones decision on J038;K dates

The three-member Commission was split down the middle when it met in New Delhi on Tuesday. Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami argued early polls 8220;could mean a poor turnout8221; and rob the exercise of 8220;required legitimacy8221;, going against colleagues who said that 8220;there was no guarantee that there would be a higher turnout even if elections were to be held at a later date,8221; EC sources said.

Under the rules of procedure for the Election Commission, in case of a split opinion, the majority view prevails.

According to the sources, the central government has already conveyed to the EC its two major points about the J038;K elections.

One, an early election would help India8217;s reputation. At an Idea Exchange programme with The Indian Express journalists on Tuesday morning, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the 8220;Union government is ready to hold elections on time, but it8217;s a decision to be taken by the Election Commission.8221;

Two, elections without adequate voter turnout would, however, raise many 8220;inconvenient questions8221;. In this context, the situation in Pakistan should be kept in mind 8212; 8220;if Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari were to walk the talk on pronouncements such as militants in J038;K are 8216;terrorists8217;, it could open up a window of opportunity in the state,8221; said a government official.

A top EC source told The Indian Express: 8220;Issues like voter turnout and the legitimacy of the election in case of a poor response, and the possibility of a political vacuum in the state if elections are put back, were discussed in the meeting. There will be further discussions in the next meeting.8221;

Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi said: 8220;Conducting an election requires careful planning, and one weighs various pros and cons of the situation. One cannot say it the inability to reach a decision was due to a difference of opinion.8221;

Sources in the Valley said the unwillingness of mainstream Kashmiri parties was a reason for the EC8217;s refusal to take an immediate decision.

At their meetings with the EC over October 7-8, the PDP, National Conference and even the Congress and smaller parties like the J038;K Panthers Party had expressed themselves against early polls.

8220;They said they would go by whatever the Election Commission decides but at the same time they said ground realities would make it difficult to hold polls. They were not sure about the safety of their workers. Even Congress leaders seemed unsure,8221; said an official who was part of the EC delegation to the state.

The EC also did not get enough evidence to conclude an early poll would see a healthy voter turnout, especially in Srinagar, the official said. 8220;Besides the uncertain participation of people, we fear that the local staff might not turn up for poll duty,8221; he said.

In New Delhi, the BJP predictably slammed the EC move.

8220;The Election Commission must clarify why poll dates were deferred in Jammu and Kashmir. By doing this we are telling the world that India is incapable of conducting polls in Jammu and Kashmir and have bowed to some separatist forces,8221; general secretary Arun Jaitley said.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said, 8220;It is for the poll panel to decide whether the situation there is conducive for elections or not.8221;