NEW DELHI: India’s election commission on Sunday announced a 40-day election from April 11, but excluded polls to the assembly in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir citing security grounds. The state is currently under New Delhi’s direct rule.

The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections will be held on April 11, the second on April 18, the third on April 23, the fourth on April 29, the fifth on May 6, the sixth on May 12 and the seventh phase on May 19. Counting of votes for all seven phases would be done on May 23, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said. He said a model code of conduct would come into immediate effect from March 10 and one million polling stations would be set up this time. Over 900,000 centres were set up for the 2014 elections.

Announcing the schedule for the polls, the election commission said a “voter verifiable paper audit trail” (VVPAT) would be used in all polling stations this time. Opposition parties have expressed reservations over electronic voting machines, which they say could be hacked.

The election commission has denied the claim. Among other rules, the model code of conduct bars the government from announcing any policy move that may impact voters’ decision. Mr Arora said all political advertisements on social media will need pre-certification. The election commission directed political parties and candidates to not use photographs of any defence personnel in their advertisements in their campaign.

J&K assembly polls excluded; election commission warns parties against using photos of military personnel

Notably, the directive has come in the wake of Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s widely celebrated early return from captivity in Pakistan. The instructions came after the photograph of a hoarding displaying pictures of the IAF pilot, as well as senior BJP leaders, was circulated on social media and came to the EC’s notice. However, it was not known where the hoarding had been put up.

Abdullah mocks Modi

Kashmiri leaders slammed the exclusion of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) assembly from the poll schedule. The disputed state returns six Lok Sabha seats for polls. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “surrendered before Pakistan, militants and separatists” by refusing to hold assembly elections.

The EC cited security grounds for not holding the assembly polls simultaneously. For Anantnag’s Lok Sabha seat, polling will be held in three phases due to security reasons, he said. “In light of the failure to conduct assembly elections on time in J&K I’m retweeting my tweets from a few days ago. PM Modi has surrendered to Pakistan, to the militants & to the Hurriyat. Well done Modi Sahib. 56 inch chest failed. #slowclap,” Omar, the National Conference’s vice president, wrote on Twitter.

Mr Omar Abdullah said in 2014, J&K had Lok Sabha elections on time and assembly elections on the schedule even after the most devastating floods, but delaying them now “shows how badly the BJP & earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K”.

Mr Omar said he had never thought Mr Modi would be willing to “confess his failure on a global stage” by not conducting the assembly polls on time in J&K.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2019