New Delhi: National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah on Tuesday questioned the Centre government asking if it cannot hold assembly and Lok Sabha elections together in Jammu and Kashmir, how can it conduct simultaneous polls across the country. Abdullah was reacting in response to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar's statement, revealing the Union Territory administration's expressed inability to conduct such concurrent polls due to the necessity of a substantial deployment of security forces.
"When the CEC addressed a press conference, he said the ECI and all political parties are ready for polls, but the current administration (in J-K) put hurdles, saying they need more security forces", news agency PTI quoted Omar as saying.
While talking to reporters, Abdullah said, "In such a situation, I am forced to question that when no assembly polls are being conducted in other states like UP, and Bihar, and you cannot conduct simultaneous elections now, then when you talk about one nation, one election, and have to conduct the polls simultaneously in states like UP, MP and Bihar, then where from will you get the forces?"
Jammu-Kashmir Administration Have Become Uncrowned Kings: Omar
Omar said that despite the Election Commission of India (ECI) being prepared to conduct elections, the administration chose not to hold elections as they did not want to leave power. "It was an opportunity to conduct the elections. But they (administration) do not want it...they have become uncrowned kings. They have all the power which they do not want to leave", Omar remarked.
He further added, "But thank God for the Supreme Court order that the elections have to be conducted before September 30."
The Supreme Court, in its judgment delivered last December following hearings on petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370, mandated the government to organise assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30 of this year, as per PTI.
When questioned about the National Conference's plans to announce candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, the NC leader said that, "We are not in hurry." He went on to say that the party was not rushing into decisions. He noted that thus far, only three candidates had been announced, and said that neither the Congress nor other parties had made their candidate announcements.