The Commission has written a letter to the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir asking him to send a report regarding compliance with this order by 11 am on Tuesday. The Commission has also asked how this appointment was made without the permission of the Commission amidst the Model Election Code applicable for the Assembly elections.
The Election Commission has put on hold with immediate effect the decision of the administration in Jammu and Kashmir to appoint Colonel Vikrant Parashar, serving in the Indian Army, as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in the Police Service during the election process and just a day before the voting. In this regard, the Commission has written a letter to the Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir asking him to send a report regarding compliance with this order by 11 am on Tuesday.
The Election Commission has also asked how this appointment was made without the permission of the Commission under the Model Election Code applicable for the Legislative Assembly elections. BC Patra, Secretary of the Commission, has written in this letter, “I have asked you to refer to the order of Government Order No. 444-Home, 2024 dated 27.09.24 under which the High Area Martial Arts School located at Gulmarg of the Indian Army Colonel Vikrant Parashar has been appointed as SSP (Training and Special Action) in Jammu and Kashmir Police.
The Commission has considered this order to be contrary to the ban on transfer of officers during the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and without commenting on the merits of this order or its immediate necessity, this appointment will be approved during the period of Model Code of Conduct. Has been banned with immediate effect.
Voting for the third and final phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir is to be held on Tuesday i.e. October 1. In this, more than 39.18 lakh voters will decide the electoral fate of 415 candidates. The third phase of assembly elections 2024 will include 40 assembly constituencies in seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir. These include Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipora in Kashmir division and Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua and Samba in Jammu division. North Kashmir’s Baramulla assembly constituency has the highest number of 25 candidates in the fray while Jammu district’s Akhnoor assembly constituency will see a contest between only three candidates during this phase.
Kashmir division has 16 assembly constituencies which include Karnah, Trehgam, Kupwara, Lolab, Handwara, Langate, Sopore, Rafiabad, Uri, Baramulla, Gulmarg, Wagura-Kreeri, Pattan, Sonawari, Bandipora and Gurez (Su) and in Jammu division There are 24 assembly constituencies which include Udhampur West, Udhampur East, Chenani, Ramnagar (SU), Bani, Bilwar, Basohli, Jasrota, Kathua (SU), Hira Nagar, Ramgarh (SU), Samba, Vijaypur, Bishnah (SU), Voting will be held in this phase in Suchetgarh (SU), RSpura-Jammu South, Bahu, Jammu East, Nagrota, Jammu West, Jammu North, Marh (SU), Akhnoor (SU) and Chhamb.