Kapil Sibal says Election Commission’s ‘loyalty visible’, makes big claim on Jammu and Kashmir polls.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said that the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls will be held after the Lok Sabha elections.In a scathing criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Kapil Sibal on Sunday accused the poll panel of partisanship towards the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Speaking to news agency ANI, Sibal said, “They are showing their loyalty towards the BJP and saying that we are scheduling elections in seven phases so that the army of campaigners and resources that you (the BJP) have can use it accordingly.“ECI’s loyalty is visible in every phase,” Sibal alluded.Expressing concerns over the yet-to-be-announced assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Sibal said that turning a state into a Union territory and then not holding polls would be “unconstitutional”. He further claimed that there won’t be any election in J&K.Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said that the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held “soon after Lok Sabha elections” due to security concerns, with both events deemed unfeasible to be held simultaneously.“But we stand committed that as soon as these elections are over … we will have availability of (security) forces then, we will hold elections there (in Jammu and Kashmir) as soon as possible,” Kumar told a press conference, adding that there was unanimous resistance from the administration against holding simultaneous polls in the Union territory.When asked about Kumar’s assurance, Sibal said, “How are they committed? First, they (ECI) said that they would conduct the (assembly) elections in Jammu and Kashmir after the Lok Sabha elections. But that will be a UT election and not the state election.”“People are asking, how can you make the state a Union Territory and then not conduct the elections for the same? It’s unconstitutional, and I believe that there won’t be any election (in J&K).”