J&K Political parties will get online permissions for rallies

‘No informal denial, transparent process’

Jammu: Acknowledging the demand of political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that there will be an online process for granting permission for holding rallies on grounds and there should be no subsequent informal denials.
Kumar said election campaigning will be made easy by granting online permissions to political parties for rallies. “For granting permission to hold rallies on grounds, the EC will be giving online permissions and it will be on a first come first serve basis. Once permission is granted, no informal restrictions will be allowed to disallow public rallies. Any complaint received about the partiality of officials will attract strict actions. The administration will also take strict action against those trying to derail the election process”, CEC Kumar said.
CEC said that political parties demanded a level playing field and streamlining of the security cover of politicians. “Security of leaders and workers will be reviewed and will be provided in an impartial manner. We have taken note and it will be ensured that there is a level playing field and a security review of politicians so that they carry out their activities normally. We have instructed the government to provide proper security cover to representatives of political parties after review of their security,” the CEC said.
He said the political parties put forth some demands like polling booths should be within a radius of two kms and there should be CCTV coverage of polling. “We have told them that both these demands have been met and instructions in this regard have been passed as well,” he said.
“All polling booths will have CCTV cameras. No last-minute clubbing of polling booths will be done,” Kumar said. He said that another demand was that polling stations shouldn’t be clubbed at the last minute and “we will ensure no polling booth is clubbed except for a few for geographical reasons.”
Kumar stressed that all officials have been directed to be proactive in making the necessary arrangements at polling stations and on the ground.
Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government for over six years and the last Assembly elections were held there in December 2014. The Supreme Court has set a deadline of September 30 for the Election Commission to hold Assembly polls in the erstwhile state, whose special status under Article 370 was removed and it was bifurcated into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019.
Updated On 8/10/2024 1:35:59 PM