J&K elections likely to be held along with Lok Sabha polls next year

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

While a November 2023 option for J&K assembly polls was being considered earlier, that possibility is growing increasingly dim. ET gathers that availability of adequate security personnel is the key concern at the poll panel's end given five other state elections are also lined up for year end. Therefore, polls in the Union territory could instead be phased alone or along with adjoining north Indian states in the Lok Sabha election calendar to ensure overall adequate availability of personnel in the region.

This, however, means that the wait for an elected government in J&K only gets longer. J&K has been under President's Rule since 19 December 2018. The last assembly election in the erstwhile state was held in November 2014.

In fact, while Lok Sabha polls were held in J&K in 2019, assembly polls were not scheduled in the UT by the ECI then, citing security concerns. Meanwhile, panchayat elections are also due in the Union Territory and expected to be scheduled in December. On ground, at the ECI's end- hardly any polling schedule related activities have been initiated in J&K following the revision of electoral rolls earlier this year.