Congress and representatives of regional political parties sought simultaneous assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir with the upcoming Lok Sabha polls when they met the Election Commission of India (ECI) team headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar in Srinagar on Tuesday.

The ECI team on Monday reached J&K on a three days visit to take stock of the poll preparedness and also meet representatives of the political parties ahead of the parliamentary elections.

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The political parties whose representatives met the ECI team include the Congress, National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), BJP, CPI (M) and the J&K Apni Party.

Nasir Aslam Wani, who led the NC delegation, said they impressed upon the Election Commission the need for holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir together with the Lok Sabha polls.

“We told the commission that it has been 10 years that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been deprived of their democratic rights. The commission gave us a patient hearing,” Wani said.

Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura, who led the PDP team, said his party also batted for holding assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously. “It is now up to the Election Commission to decide on this,” he told reporters after the meeting.

Chief spokesman of the J&K Apni Party, Mohi-ud-Din said, after the party’s delegation met the ECI, that “we are hopeful that both Lok Sabha and assembly elections will be held simultaneously in J&K.”

After meeting representatives of political parties, the 9-member ECI team will review the ground situation with the J&K Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, DGP, RR Swain, Deputy Commissioners and District Police chiefs.

The team will also hold a detailed meeting with the Chief Electoral Officer of the UT PK Pole. The ECI will hold similar discussions in Jammu on Wednesday before returning to Delhi where the final announcement about the elections will be made.

There has been a growing demand from political circles in Jammu and Kashmir that the ECI should hold Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls or immediately after the general elections.

Former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad have raised this demand in the past two weeks.

J&K Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Saturday held a meeting with the civil and police administration to sensitise them about the measures to be taken for the smooth conduct of the Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory.