New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to announce the assembly election dates for several states today, with the focus on Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). A press conference scheduled for 3 PM will reveal the poll schedules. Speculation is rife that elections in both Haryana and J&K will be announced as their respective timelines align.
The term of the Haryana Legislative Assembly ends on November 3, and elections are due. Additionally, the Supreme Court had directed that elections be held in J&K by September 30, marking a significant development for the Union Territory, where no polls have taken place since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
The First Polls in Post-370 J&K
The last state elections in J&K took place in 2014. With a decade-long gap and the transformative changes in the region, these elections carry great significance. Following the removal of Article 370, J&K was reorganized into a Union Territory, separating Ladakh and reducing the region’s autonomy. This marks the first time elections will be held under Union Territory status and under the oversight of the central government.
Key changes include the expansion of assembly seats from 87 to 90, with reserved seats for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) for the first time. The government’s term will now be five years instead of the previous six-year tenure.
Political Dynamics in J&K: What’s Changed?
Several political shifts have occurred in J&K since the last elections. The death of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and the emergence of new players, such as Ghulam Nabi Azad’s party after his split from Congress, have altered the landscape.
The 2014 assembly polls saw the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secure 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win 25 seats, the National Conference (NC) take 15 seats, and the Congress gain 12. Other parties and independents won 7 seats.
The vote share in 2014 was evenly divided, with the PDP and BJP both capturing 23%, followed by the NC with 21% and Congress with 18%. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and NC each won two of the five parliamentary seats in J&K, while an independent took one seat.
Reserved Seats and Redefined Constituencies
J&K’s assembly now has 114 seats in total, with 24 seats designated for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) that remain vacant. Of the 90 active seats, 43 fall in the Kashmir division and 47 in the Jammu division. Notably, 16 seats are now reserved, with 7 for SCs and 9 for STs.
Haryana Elections on the Horizon
In Haryana, the upcoming elections are critical for both state and national political strategies. The election dates are anticipated to align with the Assembly’s term ending in early November.
With both J&K and Haryana gearing up for elections, today’s announcement by the Election Commission is eagerly awaited as it sets the stage for the political battles to come.
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