Election Commission puts off poll preparedness review visit to J&K

The Election Commission on Wednesday put off its proposed visit to Jammu and Kashmir for review of election preparedness following the flood situation in the state.

The full commission was to visit Jammu and Srinagar for two days to review the preparedness of the poll machinery ahead of the assembly elections.

The term of the state assembly is ending in January 2015.

"Following floods, the EC has decided to postpone the visit. The date of the next visit will be announced later," a senior EC official said in New Delhi.

He said the poll body has not yet taken a call on whether to postpone the assembly elections following the calamity.

The revision of rolls in Jammu and Kashmir is currently on and was expected to be over by the first week of October. But EC officials said the process could be delayed due to the calamity.

In the last elections, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed seven-phased polling.

The full panel -- the chief election commissioner and two fellow election commissioners -- have already carried out review meetings in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand where assembly polls are due.

While the EC could announce the schedule for assembly polls in Maharashtra and Haryana shortly, it would announce the schedule for Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir later.

Almost 200 people have died in the state's worst floods in 60 years.

Image: A Kashmiri man evacuates an elderly woman to a higher ground at a flooded road in Srinagar. Photograph: Danish Ismail/Reuters