The Election Commission has sought a briefing from the Jammu and Kashmir [Images] government on the situation in the state in regard to conducting the state assembly polls.

The State Chief Secretary S S Kapoor and the Director General of Police Kuldeep Khuda are meeting the EC on Wednesday to give a hands on briefing to the commission on the prevailing situation in the state and their assessment on the law and order scenario for conducting polls before the expiry of governor's rule on January 9, 2009.

The development underscores the intent of the Election Commission to go in for early polls, and not to defer it till next year.

The EC held a broad-based meeting with leaders of various political parties in New Delhi [Images] to gauge their opinion on the conducting polls in the state, which were scheduled for October, but for the eruption of agitations in the two regions of the state on the Amaranth land row, which led to the fall of the Ghulam [Images] Nabi Azad led government and imposition of governor's rule.

While the two major political parties of the state, the Peoples Democratic Party and the National Conference have expressed reservations and opposed holding of early polls, the other parties including the Bharatiya Janata Paty and the Left parties gave their go ahead to elections.

The Congress maintained a diplomatic stance by saying that the party would cooperate with the EC on the poll dates it decides upon.