As Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, began their three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, all major political parties in the region—ranging from the National Conference to the BJP—united in their call for prompt assembly elections. This visit marks the first step in reviewing the preparedness for elections that have been pending since 2014.

Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected legislative assembly since June 2018, prompting all parties to push for the “restoration of democracy,” a sentiment they reinforced during Thursday’s meetings. The Supreme Court has mandated that assembly polls be conducted by September this year.

During their visit, the Election Commission team met with representatives from various political parties in the Valley, including the National Conference, People’s Democratic Party, BJP, Congress, and BSP.

NC’s provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani led his party’s delegation in meeting the CEC at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre. Wani emphasized the urgency of conducting assembly elections, noting that there has been no elected government in the region since 2018. He argued that a local government is essential for addressing developmental and security issues effectively.

Wani also expressed frustration that despite previous visits by the ECI, elections have not been held. He urged that this pattern should not continue, stressing that public representatives are needed to address the various challenges faced by the region.

A BJP delegation also met with the CEC, calling for elections to be held before the Supreme Court’s deadline of September 30. They requested adequate security measures for candidates and party representatives. BJP leader Avtar Singh stressed the importance of timely elections and security provisions.

PDP leader Khusheed Alam echoed similar sentiments, arguing that with the peaceful conduct of Parliament elections and the influx of tourists, there should be no further delays for assembly elections. He dismissed law and order concerns as insufficient reasons to postpone the elections.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Monga highlighted that the party emphasized the need for prompt elections and raised concerns about differential treatment of parties regarding security.

After their meetings with UT administration officials on Friday, the ECI team is expected to travel to Jammu to engage with regional political leaders.

This upcoming assembly election will be the first since the revocation of Article 370 in 2019 and the reorganization of the former state into two union territories.