"Der aaye durust aaye...will begin election campaign soon": Omar Abdullah after EC announces J-K poll dates

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 16 (ANI): Soon after the Election Commission announced the dates of the Jammu and Kashmir polls, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Friday asserted that his party is ready for the polls and campaigning will begin soon.
The Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that the Assembly elections for Haryana will be held in a single phase on October 1 and the polling in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases from September 18 to October 1.
Addressing the press conference, Omar Abdullah asserted that the National Conference is ready for the election.
"Der aaye durust aaye. The Election Commission has announced the dates of the elections in three phases. The schedule will be over in a short time. After 1987-1988, this is the first time when the elections in J&K are being conducted in such a small number of phases. The National Conference was ready for this day. We will begin our election campaign soon," Abdullah said.
Omar Abdullah called on the Election Commission to take notice of concerns over the reshuffle of senior police officers and chiefs before polling.
"We are writing to the Election Commission of India that they should investigate the transfers that happened in J&K in the last 24 hours. Several officers were transferred suddenly, we doubt these transfers have been made to benefit the B and C teams of the BJP by the LG, which has been put here by the BJP. In the last 1-2 years, the security of some leaders has been reduced and withdrawn. We request the ECI to give orders and ensure that their security is restored," he added.
Meanwhile, Congress welcomed the announcement of the elections and said that the first step has been taken
"I welcome this. Even though it is late, at least a step has been taken. Today is a happy day for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. After the formation of the House, we will continue our fight to restore statehood. People have to vote carefully and vote for those who will fight for statehood," Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir said.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the Congress has been consistently demanding that full statehood should be restored to J-K and assembly elections.
"For the past five years, the Indian National Congress has been consistently demanding that full statehood should be restored to J-K and that assembly elections should be conducted. J&K still awaits full statehood. Recent moves by the Union Government have only added to the powers of the LG there, making a mockery of the powers of a duly elected state government," Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
On the announcement of dates for the Assembly polls in J-K and Haryana, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi said that the AAP party is completely ready for the Assembly polls in Haryana.
"We are continuously holding public rallies and addressing and a large number of people are attending them...Arvind Kejriwal is the son of Haryana, so the people of Haryana have an emotional attachment to him...AAP will strongly contest the elections in Haryana and will win it...Whether there will be an alliance or not, will be decided after Arvind Kejriwal comes out of jail...we are planning everything for the polls in the state....We are happy that after 10 years (Assembly) elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir," Atishi said.
BJP in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Tarun Chugh said that the announcement of dates of the Assembly Elections in J-K and Haryana is worth welcoming.
"The announcement of dates of the Assembly Elections in J-K and Haryana is worth welcoming...Under the leadership of PM Modi and Union HM Amit Shah, Jammu and Kashmir has become free of Article 370. People have faith in PM Modi and J-K is moving forward. BJP will fight elections in J&K, people have immense faith in PM Modi and BJP will get the blessings of the public," Chugh said.
As per the announcement, the voters in Jammu and Kashmir will cast their votes on September 18, and September 25, and the third phase will take place on October 1, along with Haryana.
The counting of the votes will take place on October 4 for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, announced Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies, of which 74 are General, nine are ST and seven are SC.
In Jammu and Kashmir, there are 87.09 lakh total electors. Of which 44.46 lakh are male, 42.62 female, 169 are Transgender, 82,590 PwDs, 73943 very senior citizens, 2660 centenarians, 76092 service electors, and 3.71 lakh are first-time voters.
In December of last year, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to conclude the election process by September 30, 2024.
Jammu and Kashmir will witness elections after a gap of ten years as the last assembly election was held in 2014. The PDP-BJP coalition government fell in June 2018 when the latter withdrew support to the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti. (ANI)