Srinagar: Chief Electoral Officer Jammu and Kashmir Pandurang Kondbarao Pole on Saturday said that the Election Commission of India is likely to notify the schedule for Lok Sabha polls in the next 20 days.
Speaking with reporters during his visit to south Kashmir to assess preparedness for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, PK Pole said that the Election Commission is expected to issue a formal notification regarding the poll dates in the next 15 to 20 days. He assured that the administration’s foremost priority remains to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections, ensuring that voters can exercise their franchise without any fear or difficulty.
During his review, Pole conducted meetings with officials from three South Kashmir districts – Anantnag, Shopian, and Pulwama. He also engaged with the Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) from these districts.
Pole acknowledged the challenges inherent in conducting elections but expressed confidence in the capabilities of the administrative officers to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
Moreover, the CEO underscored the significant improvement in the security scenario across Kashmir in recent years. He reiterated that any additional deployment of security forces would be carried out in strict adherence to the norms set forth by the Election Commission of India.
Asked about the security arrangements, the CEO said the security environment has become better over the last few years but there were some challenges.
“The challenges are still the same and so we have flagged the requirement for forces. The locally available forces and those who come from outside will be deployed according to the norms of the election commission whether it is on polling station duty or area domination or other duties. We will ensure free and fair, transparent and event-free elections,” he said.
Pole appealed to the people to come out to vote in large numbers when the elections take place.
