Assembly elections will not be held in Jammu & Kashmir along with the Lok Sabha polls. Only the Lok Sabha polls will be held in the state.
A three-member panel of observers will be sent to the state to assess the situation. They will look at the situation on the ground and decide on the Assembly elections later.
The Lok Sabha polls will be held in the state in five phases. The state has been under President’s rule since November 2018.
The decision sparked sharp reactions.
Omar Abdullah, former chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir, tweeted: “First time since 1996 Assembly elections in J&K are not being held on time. Remember this the next time you are praising PM Modi for his strong leadership.”
He added: “In 2014 we had Lok Sabha elections on time & assembly elections on schedule even after the most devastating floods. Shows how badly the BJP & earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K.”
The former Jammu & Kashmir CM also added: “What happened to @rajnathsingh’s assurance to Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha as well as to the all party meeting recently in Delhi that all forces would be made available for simultaneous polls?”
