In a fresh indication that the Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir could be around the corner, BJP chief and Union Minister JP Nadda on Saturday stressed the importance of preparing for the exercise. Addressing an extended working committee meeting of the party’s J&K unit at Purkhoo in Jammu, Nadda highlighted the development work undertaken in the region since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power.
The BJP’s extended working committee adopted a resolution expressing confidence that the party will form the government in the union territory on its own, based on the Lok Sabha election results. The resolution mentioned the party’s lead in 29 out of 36 Assembly segments in the Jammu division, indicating a promising outlook for the upcoming elections.
The focus now shifts to ensuring that the Assembly elections are conducted as directed by the Supreme Court, highlighting the importance of adhering to the September deadline to uphold democratic processes in the region.
The Supreme Court has already directed the central government to hold the Legislative Assembly elections by September 30. The completion of delimitation and voter list revisions has set the stage for these elections, with the number of Assembly seats increased from 107 to 114, including 24 for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly will now have 90 seats, with the new Vaishno Devi and Katra constituencies in Reasi district among them.
Of these 90 seats, 43 are in the Jammu region and 47 in the Kashmir Valley. Nine seats gave been reserved for Scheduled Castes and seven for Scheduled Tribes, ensuring representation for marginalized communities.
The people of Jammu and Kashmir are also hopeful that the new government will soon restore statehood, as promised by prime minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Kashmir. It was on June 19, 2018, that the BJP withdrew support to the J&K coalition government headed by the then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, paving the way for Governor’s rule in the then state. Later, former J&K Governor, Satya Pal Malik, dissolved the assembly in November. This was followed by the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5, 2019, and the downgrading of the state into a union territory. The position of the Governor was reduced to that of Lieutenant Governor. Over five years have passed since then without assembly elections and any sign of restoration of statehood. Now, there are hopeful signs that these elections will finally be held. The reestablishment of a local government will be a critical step towards self-governance and political stability.
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