Srinagar:

A delegation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reached Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar on Thursday to review poll preparedness ahead of the upcoming assembly polls in the Union Territory.

Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu were part of the delegation apart from CEC Rajiv Kumar in the review visit.

As part of the review process, the ECI delegation will meet with the various stakeholders including officials and leaders of different political parties in the UT.

On June 21, the ECI initiated the preparations for forthcoming State Assembly Elections in the States of Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand with the updation of the electoral rolls in these states w.r.t. July 1, 2024, as the qualifying date.

An ECI release earlier mentioned that the term of the existing Legislative Assemblies in the three states are going to end on November 3 and 26 and January 5, 2025, respectively and elections to these Legislative Assemblies are required to be conducted before the completion of their terms.

As per the release, the ECI directed for the updation of the electoral rolls in J-K witnessing the huge participation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the recently concluded Lok Sabha Elections.

CEC Rajiv Kumar in an earlier press conference remarked that “the story of huge participation in Lok Sabha elections by people of J&K is very hopeful and inspiring, showing how eager people are to participate in democracy. People must stay peaceful and united, fulfilling their aspirations and deciding their future and governance. The Commission is excited and gratified to help make this happen and will soon start the Assembly election process in J&K.”

Meanwhile, J&K BJP Chief Spokesperson Sunil Sethi said, “We want the Assembly elections should be held at the earliest. BJP is prepared for the elections. We have certain concerns regarding security and phasing of the elections.”

J&K BJP leader Rafiq Wani said, “BJP is completely ready for elections. We are hopeful that like Lok Sabha elections people will take part in Assembly elections also.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said it is some people’s job to create doubts and asserted the systems in place at the Election Commission (EC) are strong to ensure no mistakes creep in.

He was responding to a question on doubts being cast on the turnout of voters in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

“It is the job of some people to create doubts. Our system is strong, not from today, it has been there for the past 70-72 years,” he told PTI Videos.

His remarks come on a day when the poll panel came out with Lok Sabha constituency-wise data on the number of votes cast in the first five phases of the elections.

The turnout figures came a day after the Supreme Court refused to issue directions to the Election Commission on an NGO’s plea for uploading polling booth-wise voter turnout data on its website.

The Election Commission said it has decided to expand the format of turnout data to include the absolute number of voters in every parliamentary constituency.

The Chief Election Commissioner said that the matter was in the Supreme Court and it has delivered its verdict, which is before everyone.

“All I can say is that there is no mistake in this, nor can there be any mistake,” Mr Kumar said.

“But why did these doubts arise, how were they created, and how much negative impact it has on our voting and the atmosphere, how our entire energy is diverted, we will tell this to the country one day,” he added.

While the Election Commission had been issuing turnout percentages, there had been demands to make the actual number of voters in every phase public.

The Supreme Court refused a plea on Friday to direct the EC to upload Form 17C — which records votes polled per polling station — on its website

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)