EC delegation to visit state on March 4

Jammu: A delegation of the Election Commission of India (EC) will visit the state on March 4 and 5 to review the ground situation before announcing the Lok Sabha elections. The delegation will visit Srinagar on March 4 and Jammu the next day. "The EC delegation will review the situation and talk to all stakeholders," Shailendra Kumar, chief electoral officer (CEO), J&K, told The Tribune. The visit of the EC was pending for long. The EC hasn't yet decided whether to hold the Assembly elections in the state alongside the Lok Sabha elections. The Legislative Assembly was dissolved by Governor Satya Pal Malik on November 21 last year when talks of the NC, PDP and Congress coming together to form the government were doing the rounds. The EC has to complete the process of holding the elections before May 21. It can delay the elections in extreme conditions if the security situation in the state is not conducive. TNS