Karan Singh demands early Assembly elections in J&K

Karan Singh said Dal Lake has been "cleaned for the first time" adding he was "happy to see Dal Lake clean as I have personally seen this progress".

Srinagar (J&K): Senior Congress leader Dr Karan Singh on Monday demanded early Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and said he was "happy to see the world-famous Dal Lake being cleaned for the first time". Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the AICC presidential election at the party headquarters in Srinagar, Singh said, "Democracy cannot be ensured in Jammu and Kashmir without elections, hence, all parties are demanding immediate elections here".

He said that with the completion of the delimitation exercise, work has started after completing other formalities. "We have been hearing that elections will be held in March next year, but there is no official confirmation yet. Congress and other parties have been demanding early elections and they should be held at the earliest," he said.

On the inclusion of non-local voters in J&K, he said there was confusion over the matter and things were not clear, so he cannot comment on the issue. Regarding the government's claims over development in J&K, he said that the government is making claims on the progress of development in the Union Territory, "but it may take some time to see its impact on the ground".However, Singh said, "Dal Lake has been cleaned for the first time. I am happy to see Dal Lake clean as I have personally seen this progress."