BJP asks EC to hold J

New Delhi, Sep 8 (UNI) The BJP today conveyed to the Election Commission (EC) that it wanted the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections in October-November and the present situation in the state should not be the ground for delay in holding the polls.

A BJP delegation comprising party's Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, R P Singh and R Ramakrishna of the party's election cell, told the EC that they were in favour of state polls between October and November, before expiry of the term of the current Assembly in November.

Earlier, the delegation participated in the consultations held with the EC with national political parties regarding the forthcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

The party asserted that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was even worse in 2002, when the polls were held in the state.

There had been ''open threats and calls for boycott of elections'' but the Commission held them peacefully to stregthen the democratic set up in the country.

The law and order situation in the state was ''near to normalcy'' today and there should be no reason for the delay in elections, the BJP delegation submitted, although conceding there could be some stray incidents which should not deter the ''determination to hold free and fair polls.'' In its arguments, the delegation also said that by October-November, both Ramzan and Dusherah-Diwali festivals would be over and the government would also be in a position to make available adequate security forces for supervising the peaceful polls.

The forces could then be diverted for holding elections in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh which were also due towards the end of this year, it said.

UNI KAS ATI KP1710