ECI interacts with representatives of political parties in J&K (Ld)

Srinagar, Aug 8 (IANS) The Election Commissioner of India (ECI) team headed by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Rajiv Kumar arrived here Thursday morning to review poll preparedness for the Assembly elections in J&K.

The full ECI team, including CEC Rajiv Kumar and two commissioners, Gyanesh Kumar and Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, were received by the chief electoral officer (CEO), P.K.Pole and the divisional commissioner (Kashmir), Vijay Kumar Bidhuri.

The ECI team drove straight to the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) situated by the banks of the Dal Lake where they started interaction with representatives of various national and regional political parties.

Those sending their representatives to interact with the commission include the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Aam Aadmi Party, National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the CPI(M).

The NC leaders meeting the ECI team include Sakina Itoo, Nasir Aslam Wani, Showkat Ahmad Mir, Peer Afaq Ahmad and Shami Oberoi.

The PDP has sent Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura, Suhail Bukhari, Asiya Naqash and Abdul Hameed Kosheen.

Congress leaders meeting the ECI include Peerzada Sayeed, Ravinder Sharma, G.N. Monga, Mohd Anwar Bhat and Irfan Nakash.

The CPI(M) has sent Mohd Abbas Rather, Abdul Rashid Ittu and Gulam Mohd Shah.

Aam Aadmi Party is represented by Harpreet Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Amir Kapoor and Prithipal Singh Sodan.

Party sources of all those meeting the ECI said that they are pressing for the holding of Assembly elections in J&K without any further delay.

After this meeting, the ECI team will interact with deputy commissioners and SSPs of all 20 districts of the union territory through video conferencing.