Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar arrived is in Jammu and Kashmir for a three-day visit to assess the preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, expected to be held in April-May. 

The Election Commission team, comprising Kumar and nine other officials, arrived in Srinagar on Monday. While no formal engagements were scheduled for the day, detailed meetings with civil administration and police officials are set to take place on Tuesday as part of the review process.

During their visit, the Election Commission officials are also slated to meet with representatives of political parties. Similar interactions are scheduled for Jammu on Wednesday, with a potential engagement with the media.

There has been a rising demand from political circles in Jammu and Kashmir for the Election Commission to conduct Assembly polls simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections or immediately thereafter. Former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad have vociferously advocated for this in the past two weeks.

In preparation for the polls, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo convened a meeting with civil and police administration on Saturday to apprise them of the necessary measures for the smooth conduct of the Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory. 

Dulloo emphasized the administration’s commitment to ensuring free and fair elections with substantial public participation. He urged the divisional and district administration to undertake all essential measures to prevent any impediments for the citizens in exercising their democratic rights.