The Election Commission is reported to have instructed the J&K administration and security officials not to undertake unnecessary preventive detention of political leaders and workers, in a bid to increase participation in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.The EC has also instructed not to merge or shift polling booths citing security concerns, and not to cancel rallies at the last minute, the Indian Express reported.The IE quoted EC sources as saying that Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu told officials while visiting J&K last month that preventive action should not be taken in a partisan manner and only those with a criminal history should be taken into detention.In the past, leaders and workers of parties have been taken into preventive detention on the eve of polling. Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti raised the issue during the Lok Sabha elections in May, alleging that her party workers and polling agents had been detained, the IE report said.
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