Ahead of announcing schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission has amended a key rule relating to the allocation of party symbols to make it applicable in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
A notification issued by the poll panel on Monday said Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 stands amended and will come into force with "immediate effect".
Till the time Jammu and Kashmir was a state, it had its own version of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the law applicable elsewhere in country was not applicable there. Later, provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution were abrogated and Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two Union territories in 2019.
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The provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 then became applicable in Jammu and Kashmir.
Now, ahead of announcing Lok Sabha polls, the EC has amended the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order to make it applicable in the UT. The earlier order said it extends to the whole of India and applies in relation to elections in all parliamentary and assembly constituencies other than assembly constituencies in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Accorded to the amended version, it extends to the whole of India and applies in relation to elections in all parliamentary and assembly constituencies.
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The earlier order said "State” includes the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Pondicherry.
The amended order says that "'State' includes the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the Union Territory of Puducherry and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir". Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir are the only UTs with a provision of an assembly.
The order deals with allocation of symbol for parties, reservation of symbol and resolving intra-party disputes. It also lays down procedure on how parties file candidates in elections.
The commission is at present visiting J-K to assess poll preparedness there.
