With elections to the north-east completed and with the end of winter, J&K poll calendar has once again opened up. The first move has to now be made by the Election Commission to assess the Union Territory’s readiness, officials told ET.

Most election-related processes, including rationalisation of polling stations according to the delimitation exercise and summary revision of the rolls had been completed by November-December, but polls could not be planned due to the onset of winter.

J&K has been under President’s Rule since December 19, 2018. The last assembly elections in the erstwhile state was held in November 2014. A key determinant of the poll calendar will be the overall security scenario and the availability of forces for election duty. The same has to be assessed after a detailed discussion which EC will initiate with the Ministry of Home Affairs.

For J&K polls to be held in 2023, there are two windows going by the precedent. One will be in May and the other once the Amarnath yatra is over. Usually, EC prefers to wrap up polls in J&K by early December, keeping in view the inaccessibility of the higher reaches due to snowfall.

The security scenario will be the key factor as heavy deployment of forces will be needed. Even Tripura required over 1,000 companies during polls.

In J&K, while violent incidents and stone pelting are at an all-time low, the targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits and civilians in Jammu has raised fresh challenges. Nine incidents of killings took place in the first two months of this year as compared to 19 last year.

The Centre will also weigh options whether it will have to move out CRPF battalions from anti-Naxal operations. It would also want to wrap up legislative business before polls. The MHA will look to accelerate the bill to give representation to Kashmiri Pandits in the new assembly in the upcoming Parliament session next week. A separate bill is likely to be introduced to include the Pahari community, Padri Tribe, Koli and Gada Brahmin communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes list of J&K. EC will have two other issues to consider. One is to recognise the Democratic Progressive Azad Party founded by Ghulam Nabi Azad, an application pending since late 2022. The other, a brewing dispute in the J&K National Panthers Party, after the death of founder Bhim Singh in May 2022, may soon reach EC’s doorstep. Singh’s son Ankit Love has declared himself chief patron and nominated party co-founder Jay Mala, his mother, as the presidential candidate for the party election on March 23. Meanwhile, Singh’s nephew Harsh Dev Singh who had left the party to join AAP J&K unit last year is back in fold to revive the party.