After being de-linked, J&K assembly polls likely to be held from June 4 onwards

New Delhi, Mar 16: The elections to the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly which was delinked with the Lok Sabha polls is expected to be conducted in seven phases.

Officials who have been holding a series of meetings have said that the polls are likely to be conducted in the state in June. The views were put-forth by the home ministry and the state administration.

It was said that due to the volatile situation in the state, the simultaneous elections could not be conducted. The Lok Sabha polls in the state are being conducted in five phases.

The officials said that the assembly elections must be conducted in seven phases.

A senior official said that the decision to de-link the elections was taken in view of the security situation in the state apart from the volatile conditions along the Indo-Pak border.

However this decision had come in for criticism and several political parties said that the state was being denied a rightful representation.

As per the discussions held, the poll schedule would commence from June 4, after Ramzan and end by July 1 before the Amarnath Yatra begins. The term of the current legislative assembly ends on June 3. The President's rule in the state expires on July 3.