Assembly elections in Jammu-Kashmir and Jharkhand from November 25

New Delhi: Unfazed by the devastation in the Kashmir Valley after last month’s flood, the Election Com-mission on Saturday announced on Saturday that Assembly elections would be held in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand between November 25 and December 20 in five phases.

The announcement comes within days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi spending a day in Srinagar where he had announced a relief package of Rs 745 crore.

Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath announced that polling in J&K and Jharkhand would be held on November 25, December 2, 9, 14 and 20.

Besides, byelections to three Assembly seats in Delhi, which fell vacant after three MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha, will be held on November 25, he added.

Counting of votes for the Assembly polls in the two states and bypolls in Delhi will take place on December 23.

The current six-year term of the J&K Assembly ends January 19.

With the BJP having swept the recent LS elections in Jharkhand and Jammu and Ladakh regions, the saffron party is hoping to play a key role in the formation of the government.