The Election Commission of India (ECI) has indicated that assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are imminent by directing the Union Territory administration to transfer officers from their home districts. This standard pre-election measure is designed to ensure impartiality in the electoral process.
Similar directives have been issued for Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand, with forthcoming elections. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has previously announced that elections and the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir are forthcoming.
The Supreme Court has set a deadline of September 30, 2024, for these elections. Final dates have yet to be determined as preparations are underway.
In Telangana, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced plans to enact an ordinance if necessary to implement reservations for sub-castes within the Scheduled Castes, following a recent Supreme Court ruling.
The ruling, upheld by a seven-judge bench, supports the classification of SCs into sub-groups for educational and employment reservations.
Reddy criticized the previous Bharata Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government for its ineffective representation of the case, while the Congress government, elected in December 2023, successfully argued the case before the Supreme Court.
BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and Telugu Desam Party leader Nara Lokesh have welcomed the ruling, while the BJP has refrained from commenting.
