MCC in J&K lifted: ECI

Jammu, Oct 10: The Election Commission of India (ECI) Thursday announced that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) ceased to be in operation in Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect.

As per an official communiqué of ECI sent to the Cabinet Secretary, Government of India, Chief Secretary and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of J&K along with their counterparts in Haryana, the MCC has been lifted following the declaration of results in respect of Legislative Assembly polls of J&K and Haryana.

“The provisions of MCC are enforced from the date of announcement of the election schedule by the ECI and remain in operation till the completion of the election process. Now that the results in respect of Legislative Assembly polls of Haryana and J&K have been declared by the concerned Returning Officers, the MCC has ceased to be in operation with immediate effect,” the ECI directive read.

Earlier, the Chief Electoral Officer of J&K, Pandurang Kondbarao Pole along with his other colleagues met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar and submitted to him the copy of the notification issued by the ECI, in pursuance of Section 73 of the Representation of People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951), containing the names of the members elected to the J&K Legislative Assembly.

The MCC came into operation in J&K immediately after the announcement of the J&K assembly polls by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on August 16, 2024.

The assembly polls, after a hiatus of 10 years, were conducted in three phases - September 18, 25, and October 1.

The electoral exercise was completed with the declaration of results on October 8.