New Delhi- The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal, on Tuesday, urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir which has been without an elected government for the past more than four years.
A delegation of the AAP led by Harsh Dev Singh, former minister and chairman of the party’s J&K coordination committee, submitted a memorandum to the ECI seeking early elections and restoration of democratic government in J&K at the earliest.
Except the BJP, all political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have been demanding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier government had hinted that the poll process would begin after the revision of electoral rolls was completed. The Delimitation Commision published the revised electoral rolls last week.
“The Constitution continues to be subverted by taking freakish excuses to deny Democracy to the people of J&K. The rulings of Supreme Court on time-bound restoration of democratic governments in States/UTs continue to be violated with impunity by the present rulers,” read the memorandum.
In the memorandum, AAP has quoted various Supreme Court rulings on holding Assembly Elections within a period of six months in states and Union Territories where the assembly is prematurely dissolved.
“It is now believed that the BJP may never allow elections in J&K as long as it remains in power. It is high time, therefore, that the ECI save the Constitution and democratic rights of the people of J&K,” the memorandum read.
The memorandum further said that the J&K Legislative Assembly was suspended in June 2018 due to withdrawal of support by the BJP to the PDP. Thereafter, the Opposition parties, including the National Conference, Congress and the PDP offered to form the government claiming that they had the requisite numbers. They staked claim before the then governor on the strength of their majority in the legislature, yet the governor preferred to dissolve the Assembly.
The AAP pointed out that the Supreme Court on various occasions has held that Assembly Elections must be held within six months in all those States/UTs where Assemblies are pre-maturely dissolved.
In June 2018, the BJP withdrew support to the People’s Democratic Party-led coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, J&K has been without an elected government.
In August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its statehood and the special status granted under the Constitution. It was divided into union territories — Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
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