Jammu: The news of assembly elections being held in Jammu and Kashmir has become a topic of discussion these days. Meanwhile, almost all the mainstream political parties, barring the BJP, have been reiterating their demand to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir before assembly elections.
The central government has given assurances to restore the statehood from 2019, but when the statehood will be restored, no one knows because the center government has not fixed any time frame for the restoration. Although the dates for holding the assembly elections have not been announced yet.
However, last week, a statement came out from the Union Home Ministry that the process of delimitation has been completed in Jammu and Kashmir and the process of revising the voter lists has also started. The activities of the commission before the elections indicate that the elections can be held soon. Former minister and senior leader of People's Conference Syed Basharat Bukhari says that the central government should fulfill its promise to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir before the assembly elections.
Amidst the speculations of assembly elections at the end of this year, various political parties are organizing rallies to attract people to their side. The mainstream political parties here are looking quite active from the few steps being taken. Ghulam Hasan, senior vice president of Apni party, says that if statehood was restored before the Assembly elections, it would not only benefit the people of Jammu and Kashmir. but a large number of voters will be able to participate in the democratic process.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi called an all-party meeting of all the political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir, including the BJP, in Delhi last year, the promise of restoring the status of Jammu and Kashmir was repeated. Syed Basharat Bukhari says that in the Parliament Promises made and then repeated by the Prime Minister have yet to show any progress. So what does the BJP mean by "right time" for state-level restoration? It is beyond understanding.
Amidst the activities of Election Commission and political parties here, the Parliament session is also going on. It will be interesting to see whether there will be any progress in the current session in parliament regarding the restoration of statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.
