National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Friday welcomed the Election Commission's announcement of a three phased assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir and said it was better late than never.

"Some time back, the ECI announced the schedule for assembly elections in J-K. People of J-K were waiting for this day for a long time. It is better late than never," Abdullah told reporters here.

The Election Commission said the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir would be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1, and the votes will be counted on October 4.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said it is perhaps for the first time after the 1987-88 polls, that the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are being held in a short time and in just few phases.

"It obviously will be a new experiment for the political parties. But as far as our party is concerned, the NC was prepared for this day and will soon start the electioneering," he added.

Abdullah said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has made a thrust on conducting free and fair polls in Jammu and Kashmir and called on the poll body to take notice of the massive transfers in the police and civil administration in the Union Territory in the last 24 hours.

"We have doubts that this government is helping the BJP and its B, C and D teams. The ECI should immediately take notice and examine them and stop those transfers which are outside their guidelines," he said.

The National Conference (NC) vice-president said it is obvious that rather than providing a level playing field, "you are trying to create an unbalanced playing field".

Asked whether he would contest the assembly polls, Abdullah, who has for long maintained that he will not contest the assembly elections as long as Jammu and Kashmir continues to be a Union Territory, said he will consult his father and NC president Farooq Abdullah and his party colleagues on that.

"As far as my contesting the polls in concerned, even now I do not want to contest the polls, but the truth is that there is a huge pressure on me from the party. I will discuss this with my party colleagues and a decision will be taken in a day or two," he said.

Abdullah said his father, who is now aged and his health is also not well, has announced that if "I do not contest, then he will be forced to".

"This has become a problem for me. I will talk to him and my colleagues and a decision will be taken in a few days," he added.

Responding to a question on an alliance with the Congress, Abdullah said the NC is having discussions with the grand old party.

"Some days back, a few senior leaders of the Congress from Delhi came here and I had a round of discussions with them on the alliance. However, unfortunately, they had come here without taking the instructions from their party high command,” said Abdullah.

"We couldn't take that dialogue forward. If the Congress has any concrete suggestions or ideas by virtue of which we can have an understanding, then we are ready to talk to them. Two days back, Farooq Abdullah also talked to some senior Congress leaders over phone to pave the way for talks. The election is now upon us and we do not have much time. We will see what can be done," he added.

Asked whether the NC will form an alliance with any other party, he said those parties who have contested the polls against the NC and did not get tired of abusing them, "an alliance with them will perhaps be difficult".

"Rather than improving the relations with us, they (referring to PDP) deteriorated it further. But we will see how the situation evolves. We do not have much time," he added.

He said the Election Commission should address the apprehensions of the political parties in Jammu and Kashmir in terms of security.

The security of politicians should be restored immediately. The ECI should order the restoration of security to the politicians whose security was either removed or downgraded, he said.

To a question about the security scenario in Jammu region and whether there is a need to bring changes in the security grid, Abdullah said the government has changed the police chief of the UT.

"What else do you want in terms of changes to the security grid? The DGP has been changed. We have seen that such changes usually do not take place during the elections. We thought the existing DGP, who had opened a front politically against us, might be given an extension. But, rather than extension, it was made clear on August 15 that he will not remain here," he said.

Responding to another question about the short duration of the polls, he said the party is already in an election mood and having lesser phases will not make a huge difference.

"We are in election mood. We contested an election just two months ago and we are in that mood. It will not be much difficult for us. We have manifesto ready, candidates are ready. We will see if there is an alliance, then we will come out with candidates," he added.

Asked how it felt to be having the assembly elections in the absence of Article 370, Abdullah said it would be strange.

"This is first (assembly) election for the people of J-K in the absence of Article 370. It will be a strange election for all of us. It will be a first election in a UT. We do not have a habit of having elections in such a short time frame, but now we will have to be ready for it," he said.

“We have faith in people that they will come out and vote in large numbers," he added.

Responding to a hypothetical question about whether the party would ally with the BJP if it falls short of a majority after the polls, Abdullah said he does not believe in ifs and buts.

"I have toured Jammu region, there is not much support for the BJP there. Had they had their way, the elections would not have taken place. If the elections are being held, it is because of the Supreme Court,” said Abdullah.

"So, let the elections take place. I hope the people will not want a crippled government, but a strong one and the people will support either a single party or a pre-poll alliance which announces the alliances in the open," he added.

Asked if the NC would ally with the PDP, he said the party had kept its doors open, but the PDP did not support the INDIA bloc candidates in the parliamentary polls.

"Had kept the doors open, but it is them who shut it to some extent. I had told the Congress that there is less scope to give any seats to them (PDP) among the five (Lok Sabha) seats in J-K, but if they help the INDIA alliance, then we will surely talk to them after the parliamentary polls for seat sharing for the assembly election,” said Abdullah.

"However, they didn't help the Congress in the parliamentary polls, did not campaign for them or seek votes for them in Jammu. They contested all three seats against INDIA bloc," he added.

Abdullah, however, said the alliance with the PDP was not his decision to make.

"The NC as a party will decide on it, the decision will be our president's and whatever his decision, we will accept it," he said.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.