Army Chief Reviews Security in Srinagar Ahead of Historic J&K Elections

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited Srinagar to assess security ahead of the first J&K assembly elections in 10 years. The elections will be held in three phases starting September 18, with votes counted on October 8. Key military officials were present during the briefing.

Amid preparations for the assembly elections, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi reached Srinagar on Thursday to take stock of the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. 'Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi is in Srinagar to review the security situation ahead of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Security forces and formation commanders will brief him on the current security environment,' defence officials told ANI.

The Army chief directly flew into the capital city of the union territory from Jodhpur, where he was attending the Exercise Tarang Shakti. General Dwivedi also met with J-K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhawan. Lieutenant General MV Suchindra Kumar, GOC-in-C Northern Command, and Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, GOC 15 Corps, were also present.

Voting in Jammu and Kashmir will be carried out in three phases- September 18, 25, and October 1, with vote counting on October 8. This marks the first assembly polls in the UT in 10 years and the first since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. To ensure security, the Army has planned a change in command only after the polls conclude in late October, with Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai set to be replaced by Lt Gen Prashant Srivastava. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)