Srinagar, Oct 23 (UNI) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrived here on Tuesday to review the overall security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the valley, and interact with political parties besides the recently elected representatives in Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections.
Official sources said Mr Singh, immediately after his arrival at the Srinagar airport, left for S K International Conference Centre (SKICC) on the bank of Dal Lake to chair a high-level security meeting.
Besides Governor Satya Pal Malik, senior officers from different security agencies are taking part in the meeting being held two days after seven civilians died in a blast after an encounter in which three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were killed by security forces at Laroo Kulgam on Sunday.
Sources said after the security meeting, Mr Singh is scheduled to hold meeting with leaders of different mainstream political parties, including National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Congress, who have been invited by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir.

This was the first visit of Mr Singh after by and large peaceful conduct of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections in which the BJP emerged winner in Jammu, while the Congress improved its position in Kashmir though independents got highest seats.
The visit, however, holds significance as it comes against the backdrop of two main regional political parties --National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), besides CPI(M) -- boycotting the recently concluded Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and upcoming panchayat election to be held next month.

Nearly 70 per cent of wards did not witness any polling during the ULB polls in the valley as there was either no candidate at all or there was only one contestant, following non participation of NC, PDP and boycott call given by separatists and militants.
Polling was held only in 186 wards of the 598 wards spanning across 40 municipal bodies in ten districts of the valley. The remaining 412 wards - constituting of 68.89 per cent of the total - did not require any voting at all.
The remaining 13 municipal bodies in the valley recorded 8.3 per cent polling in the first phase, 3.4 per cent in the second, 3.5 per cent in the third and 4.2 per cent in the fourth and last phase.
Meanwhile, they said Mr Singh will also interact with political parties, particularly NC and PDP, and persuade them to end their poll boycott and participate in the upcoming panchayat elections.

The visit by the Home Minister also comes at a time when the situation in tense in the valley following killing of seven civilians in a blast which took place near an encounter site in Kulgam, where three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were gunned down by security forces on Sunday.
The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) had called for a strike on Monday and “Lal Chowk Challo” today against the killings.
“The Union Home Minister will also review the preparedness of security grid to thwart infiltration attempts by militants from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) along the Line of Control (LoC) in the valley and international border in Jammu,” they said.
Earlier, in a tweet, Mr Singh said, "Heading to Srinagar on a day-long visit to Jammu & Kashmir. Shall review the security situation and important initiatives taken in the state".
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