Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Friday, appointed retired IAS officer Braj Raj Sharma as the State Election Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir.
In the exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 36 of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, the Lieutenant Governor is pleased to appoint Braj Raj Sharma, IAS (Retd.) as State Election Commissioner for Jammu and Kashmir, an order said.
Sharma will hold the position till he is 65 years old.
“The appointment of State Election Commissioner shall take effect from the date he assumes the charge. The terms and conditions of his appointment shall be notified by the Government subsequently,” the order read.
The appointment of Sharma has come at a time when the clamour for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir has grown louder. Regional parties and the Congress have been demanding assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir to restore democracy in the former state.
Jammu and Kashmir has been under Central rule since June 2018 after the collapse of the PDP-BJP government. On June 19, the Union territory completed five years of Presidential rule.
The Election Commission of India has acknowledged the need for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir but said it depends on the weather and security situation in the region.
After the revocation of Article 370, the Centre has linked the restoration of statehood with delimitation and elections.
The delimitation was completed last year and the revision of votes, which saw a record increase of 10 per cent voters in the voting list, was completed last year. Yet the assembly elections look unlikely till the completion of the Lok Sabha polls.
Regional parties like the NC and the PDP have accused the BJP of delaying the elections for fear of losing.
NC vice president Omar Abdullah, during a function in Jammu on Wednesday, said if elections are held, the BJP will not get more than 10 seats in the 90-member assembly.
The BJP has been saying they are ready for the polls and accomplish the mission to win 50 seats.
The party, however, is focussing on the Lok Sabha elections to retain the three two seats it won in Jammu last year and one in Ladakh.