Jammu and Kashmir L-G Girish Chandra Murmu hints at state Assembly polls, says election process to begin 'soon'

Jammu: Hinting at holding Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir in the near future, Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu on Thursday said the election process will begin soon. “Election will come. It is a Union territory with a legislature, it will not continue like this (LG’s rule),” he said while addressing a function of the police department. “The process for holding the election will come soon,” Mr Murmu said, speaking at the Attestation-cum-Passing out Parade of the 14th batch of Constables, held in the Talwara area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district. Asking the police force to get ready for shouldering their responsibility, the Lt Governor said there will be an important role for the men in uniform (in the forthcoming election). Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Nirmal Kumar Singh met the Lt Governor at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday. The statement by Mr Murmu, who took over as the first Lt Governor of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on 31 October, will come as a relief to political parties. On August 5, the government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s temporary special status and bifurcated the state into two Union territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.