New Delhi: Opposition members in the Lok Sabha have called for the government to establish a timeline for holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
During a debate on The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, National Conference leader Hasnain Masoodi emphasized the importance of organizing the polls in the union territory as soon as possible.
Masoodi argued that the central government should have made a decision on the elections before the Supreme Court had to intervene in the matter. The court had previously instructed the Election Commission to conduct assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir by September of this year.
Masoodi further highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statement wherein he mentioned that his government would make significant decisions. Masoodi asserted that holding the assembly polls should be prioritized before other major decisions are made. Minister of State for Home, Ajay Misra, pointed out during the debate that local bodies’ elections have already been conducted in the former state.
Saugata Roy, a leader from the Trinamool Congress, also referred to the Supreme Court’s observation and called for early assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. He emphasized that the region became a union territory on August 5, 2019, with provision for a legislative assembly following the revocation of Article 370.
Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party demanded a specific timeline from the government regarding the assembly polls and the restoration of statehood to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Although the Election Commission will determine the actual date, Sule argued that the government could at least provide an estimated timeline for the democratic exercise.
Jugal Kishore Sharma, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party from Jammu, stated that The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill would ensure justice to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the union territory.
Chinta Anuradha from the YSR Congress Party described the bill as a progressive legislation that would streamline the election process in local bodies, including panchayats.
Introducing the bill for discussion, Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, mentioned that after the revocation of Article 370, the OBCs in Jammu and Kashmir, who had been neglected previously, are now on the path of development. Rai stated that this bill would guarantee justice to the OBCs in the region.
Presently, there is no provision for reserving seats for OBCs in panchayats and municipalities in the Union territory.
Lastly, assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir took place in 2014. During these elections, the Peoples Democratic Party secured 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party won 25 seats, and the National Conference claimed 15 seats.
Subsequently, to establish a coalition government, the late President of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, formed a coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
However, the PDP-BJP coalition government dissolved on June 19, 2018. Following this dissolution, no assembly elections were conducted in Jammu and Kashmir.
Later, on August 5, 2019, the central government took significant actions by revoking Article 370 and Article 35a. Additionally, the region of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated, resulting in the creation of two separate union territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.