Date:03/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/03/stories/2008090357230100.htm

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EC to meet parties on J&K polls

J. Venkatesan

New Delhi: The Election Commission has convened a meeting of political parties here for September 8 to ascertain their views on holding Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, now under Governor’s rule.

Elections have to be held before January 9, 2009.

The Commission on Tuesday wrote to seven national parties — the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Communist Party of India(Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal — and the State-level National Conference, People’s Democratic Party and Panthers Party, seeking their participation in the meeting.

Asked whether the parties gave their consent to attend, highly placed sources in the Commission said it would be known only after they responded to the letter.