J&K Assembly elections? Not sometime soon

By Sheikh Qayoom
Srinagar, April 12 Although the final revision of electoral rolls is scheduled to be completed by May 10, most political parties in J&K believe the Assembly elections might get further delayed in the union territory.

All regional mainstream political parties and the Congress called on the election commission recently to press for early Assembly elections in the UT.

During his press conference in which the Karnataka Assembly poll schedule was announced, the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar said there is a gap in J&K due to the absence of an elected government which must be filled.

The last elected government headed by Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fell after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew from the coalition on June 19, 2018.

Mehbooba Mufti resigned as the chief minister immediately after the BJP withdrew support to her government.

The J&K Assembly was dissolved by the then Governor, Satya Pal Malik on November 21, 2018.

On August 5, 2019, the state was downgraded to a union territory and bifurcated into the UTs of Ladakh and J&K. This followed the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A by Parliament.

Since June 20, 2018 J&K has remained without an elected government.

Leaders of political parties like the regional National Conference (NC), J&K Apni Party, Peoples Conference and Awami National Conference (ANC) and also those of the centrist Congress and the CPI(M) have been blaming the BJP government at the Centre for trying to delay the Assembly elections.

The NC leaders have been in the forefront of the opposition campaign to blame the Centre for delaying these elections which deprive J&K of having its own government.

Post abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, all local political leaders were kept under detention to maintain law and order.

Fortunately, the abrogation of Article 370 did not witness any public unrest. Authorities said in 2019 that the political leaders were detained to prevent them from organising public protests which would be detrimental to law and order.

Generally speaking, there has been perceptible change on ground after August 2019. Public unrest, stone pelting, separatist called shutdowns, etc., have stopped.

The J&K DGP, Dilbag Singh said recently that militancy has come down although it has not been completely wiped out so far.

Kashmir had a booming tourist season last year. In the first three and half months of 2023, tourism has started on a very encouraging note.

Hoteliers, tour and travel operators, Houseboat owners and 'Shikarawallahs' on the Dal and Nigeen lakes are doing brisk business this time.

This year's annual Amarnath Yatra would start in the last week of June and last for two months till August end.

The likely booming summer tourist season and the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra are two big reasons that the Assembly elections cannot be held till autumn, credible sources told .

This leaves just the last quarter of the year during which the Assembly elections could be held.

The municipal and Panchayat elections are also due by the year end as the term of office of the elected urban and rural bodies ends by January 2024.

Given these facts and the realisation that the Lok Sabha elections are due in April-May 2024 in the country, most political leaders in J&K believe that the Assembly elections in the UT might not be held this year at all.

These could spill over to 2024 and be held together with the Lok Sabha elections next year.

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