"Shocking but that is expected': Kapil Sibal on J-K Assembly polls to be held after LS polls

New Delhi: After the announcement by the Election Commission to hold Jammu and Kashmir polls after the Lok Sabha elections, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal on Sunday said that it is shocking, but was expected.
"Shocking, but that is expected. They will have no polls in Jammu and Kashmir and what is even more shocking is that Sonam Wangchuk, who is on fast, wants to have 'district hill status' and they are not even providing that," Sibal told reporters.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said that the J-K Assembly polls will be held after the Lok Sabha elections.
In an interview with ANI, CEC Kumar said, "We are yet to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. I mentioned in the press conference earlier today that the way for conducting legal elections has opened since December 23. This is March, and there is snowfall in the region, hence the question of holding elections does not arise at this point."
"We (ECI) went to Jammu and Kashmir and were asked by all the political parties there to hold the state assembly elections with the Lok Sabha polls. After that, we held administrative meetings wherein it was discussed that a lot of security forces would be required to conduct state assembly election with Lok Sabha election in J-K," he said.
The general election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases from April 19, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Saturday. The counting will be held on June 4.
Nearly 97 crore voters will be eligible to vote for 543 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country. With the announcement of dates, the model code of conduct comes into force immediately.