The Election Commission of India (ECI) is finalizing preparations for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) assembly elections, likely to be held in September. A significant meeting with Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reviewed security arrangements, with a high deployment of central forces like CRPF and BSF planned to ensure smooth conduct. The revised electoral rolls for the Union Territory will be published on August 20, after which the election schedule is expected to be announced. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar emphasized that no internal or external forces can derail the elections, and all political parties in J&K are in favor of holding the elections early. J&K has not had an elected government since June 2018, and the area has faced recent security challenges, including terror attacks.