The Election Commission on Tuesday said it would announce the schedule for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections after the Amarnath Yatra, PTI reported. The pilgrimage will begin on July 2 and end on August 15.

The poll panel said it was unanimously decided that “holding of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir shall be considered later in this year”. The commission added that it would keep monitoring the security situation in the state regularly “based on inputs from all necessary quarters”.

Last year, Jammu and Kashmir was under Governor’s Rule from June to December after the Bharatiya Janata Party withdrew support to the Peoples Democratic Party in the state. In December, the state moved to President’s Rule. On May 22, Governor Satya Pal Malik said the administration wants President’s Rule to be lifted as soon as possible.

Amarnath Yatra in recent years

As many as seven pilgrims were killed and 18 people were injured in Anantnag district in July 2017 in an attack on a bus carrying devotees.

The following year, the Yatra was suspended several times because of inclement weather. The same year, 13 pilgrims were injured when their mini bus crashed into a truck parked near Birma Bridge in Udhampur district.

On Tuesday, reports said the Centre was considering delimitation of constituencies in the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah held meetings with Malik, Intelligence Bureau Director Rajiv Jain and Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on the matter, India Today reported.