Poll process in J&K in four phases likely to be completed before year end

Jammu,(India)September 15 :- Under the schedule being fixed shortly for the next Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir the polling is likely to start from middle of November.The Kashmir valley and some snow prone areas in Doda and Poonch will go to the polls first.Under the schedule polling will be held in four phases.

    The last phase will cover four out of eight districts in the Jammu region.The Chief electoral officer has directed the Departmental officials to keep ready the electoral rolls and voters slips.

    Official sources said that the Commission and the central Government besides the Governor,N.N.Vohra,are in favour of completing the  election process before the end of December.Accordingly,the plan was being drawn under which polling in two phases will be completed in the Kashmir valley and in four constituencies in Leh and  Kargil districts.It will be followed by polling in two phases in the Jammu region.   

There are over 64 lakh voters and for them  over 9,000 polling booths were being established.Most of the school buildings are being used for polling booths.Except for the PDP all other mainstream political parties are opposed to the postponement of the election.Their demand is said to have been accepted by the Commission after the centre also gave its nod.The idea behind holding the election from Middle of November onwards was to foil the designs of Kashmiri separatists who were trying to sabotage the poll process by raising the level of violence and by threatening mainstream politicians of dire consequences if they participated in the election.