Representational Picture by Jahangir Shah

Srinagar: The Election Commission of India has decided to seek further clarification on certain aspects from the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the conduct of assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir.

A full commission discussed the issue regarding the assembly polls at New Delhi on Tuesday.

“It was decided to seek further clarification on certain aspects of the issue from Ministry of Home Affairs,” Spokesperson of the commission Sheyphali Sharan said.

“It was also decided to seek the opinion of an eminent Legal Expert in the context of ongoing President’s Rule in Jammu & Kashmir,” she said.

On March 10, when the poll body had announced the schedule for the ongoing Lok Sabha election, it had said the polls to the state Assembly will not be held simultaneously. It had cited the law-and-order situation in the state for delaying the Assembly polls.

Since the Assembly has been dissolved, the election commission was is bound to hold fresh polls there within a six-month period, which will end in May.

The government of India and the state administration, being managed by the Centre-appointed governor was against holding the two elections together.

However, all political parties in the state spoke in favour of simultaneous polls during a meeting with the EC.

The six-year term of the Assembly was to end on March 16, 2021, but it got dissolved after the ruling coalition between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell apart. (GNS)