SRINAGAR: Undeterred by militants’ call for a general strike, the Election Commissioner, Dr. MS. Gill, held discussions recently with the Jammu and Kashmir government officials on whether the situation in the stale was conducive for holding assembly elections.
Dr. Gill, who had a busy schedule on the opening day of his three-day visit, visited principal town of South Kashmir, Ananinag, and held discussion with the district administration and law and order authorities, according official sources.
The Election Commissioner met the state Governor, General (retd) K.V. Krishna Rao, his advisors, top functionaries of his administration including state’s Chief Electoral Officer, Jilal Ahmad Khan, and leaders of different political parties besides police, paramilitary and army officers.
The Governor, in the course of a lengthy meeting with the visiting Election Commissioner, asserted that militancy had been put down in Kashmir to the extent where elections could be held. He favored elections before the expiry of the present spell of President’s Rule. It is due to expire on January 18 next year. The Pradesh Congress also favored immediate elections but the other main political party of the state, the National Conference, has ruled out participation in the proposed elections unless some of its demands are met.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 6, 1995
