Lok Sabha poll dates likely to be announced on March 15, crucial meeting with observers on March

Digital Desk: In a significant development, the Election Commission of India is set to visit Jammu and Kashmir from Monday to Wednesday to assess the feasibility of holding elections in the Union Territory. This visit is crucial as it follows the Supreme Court's directive to conduct Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September. Additionally, the Commission will determine whether these Assembly elections can be synchronized with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Union government had sought the Election Commission's evaluation on the possibility of conducting simultaneous elections in the Union Territory, a task now entrusted to the Commission's top officials, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Arun Goel. The announcement of the Lok Sabha election dates is anticipated shortly after the assessment concludes, potentially on Thursday or Friday.

The model code of conduct, a set of guidelines that govern the behavior of political parties and candidates during elections, will come into immediate effect upon the announcement of elections. Political parties are expected to intensify their campaign efforts, making promises and inaugurating projects before this code is enforced.

Jammu and Kashmir, which underwent bifurcation in 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370, has not witnessed Assembly elections since 2014. The Supreme Court, during a hearing on petitions challenging the scrapping of Article 370, directed the Election Commission to conduct elections in the region by September 30. The court also upheld the Union government's decision to abrogate Article 370 and urged prompt steps to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.

The political landscape in the Union Territory has been marked by a lack of an elected government since 2018. The coalition government formed in 2014 between the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the BJP collapsed in 2018, leading to a political vacuum. The PDP is now part of the INDIA Alliance, and tensions have risen within the alliance, notably with the National Conference (NC).

The NC's decision to contest all three seats in Kashmir independently, leaving two in Jammu for the Congress, has stirred controversy. Mehbooba Mufti, leader of the PDP and part of the INDIA Alliance, criticized the NC's move as "disappointing" and accused the party of reducing the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to a "joke." 

The PAGD, a coalition advocating for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, includes parties like the NC and the PDP.

As the Election Commission's visit unfolds, it carries the potential to shape the political future of Jammu and Kashmir, providing clarity on the electoral timeline and potentially paving the way for the return of an elected government in the Union Territory.