ECI Invites Applications For Party Symbols, Is Jammu & Kashmir Going To Polls?

New Delhi: Hinting at assembly polls imminent in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission of India (RCI) on Saturday invited applications from registered unrecognised parties seeking allotment of “common symbols”.

It comes days after Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said that the panel would begin the election process in the union territory “very soon”.

This would be the first election in the UT after abrogation of Article 370.

The recognised national and state parties already have their symbols. ECI sought the allotment of symbols under Para 10B of the Election Symbols (Reservation & Allotment) Order, 1968 from unrecognised registered parties, Hindustan Times reported.

According to rules, under the Election Symbols order, any registered unrecognised political party can apply for a ‘common symbol’ six months before the end of the term of a House. But in Jammu and Kashmir there is no functional assembly yet.

It is pertinent to mention here that in December last year, the Supreme Court had directed ECI to hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30 this year. It was thus being speculated that it would be held along with the General elections but the EC had said that it was not practical due to logical and security reasons.