This Article is From Oct 25, 2014

Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand Elections to be Held in Five Phases from November 25

Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath.

New Delhi: Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand will be held in five phases - on November 25, December 2, December 9, December 14 and December 20 - the Election Commission or EC announced today. Counting for both states is going to be held on December 23.

The Model Code of Conduct, which will come into effect immediately, will not affect relief work in Jammu and Kashmir, assured the EC. The state had last month witnessed its worst flood in 100 years.

Among the political parties in the flood-hit state, only the ruling National Conference had opposed the elections being conducted on schedule, sources told NDTV.

Party spokesperson Junaid Mattu said, "The reason we opposed the election is because people are devastated after the floods. Now that the Election Commission has declared the dates, the party will decide the future course of action."

But Election Commissioner HS Brahma told NDTV that the EC was "mandated to hold the elections as the assembly's term comes to an end in January".

"If we delay it beyond November or December, then we can't hold the elections before March or April as winter would have set in," he added.

He also revealed that the EC had a "Plan B in place to shift polling to other, safer areas" in case of firing at border areas, which have been subject to heavy cross-border firing and several ceasefire violations by the Pakistani side.

By-polls for three seats of the Delhi assembly -- Tughlakabad, Krishna Nagar and Mehrauli  -- will also be held on November 25.

The notification for the by-elections to the three assembly seats can be withdrawn in case the Lieutenant Governor or the Supreme Court dissolves the Delhi assembly before that, said sources in the EC.

"If the Supreme Court or Lieutenant Governor ask us to hold elections in Delhi, we will do so," said Mr Brahma.

While the term of the 87-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly ends on January 19, the term of the 81-member Jharkhand assembly expires on January 3.
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