Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the all-party meeting with politicians from Kashmir assured that assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after the delimitation process is completed.
After the conclusion of the high-profile meeting, Jitendra Singh in a video message said, "The next important step in the democratic process in J-K is Assembly polls and we have to move to it together. For this, the delimitation process will have to be completed swiftly so that all sections get proper political representation in Assembly."
"All the parties participating in the meeting have assured to be part of the delimitation process," the Union Minister said.
The most significant point is that the meeting took place a day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) held virtual discussions with its representatives in Jammu and Kashmir and deputy commissioners regarding the delimitation of the 90 Assembly constituencies in the Union Territory.
Singh said that the all-party meeting is a positive effort towards giving development and strengthening democracy in Jammu and Kashmir.
"The meeting was held in a conducive atmosphere. Everyone showed their faith towards India's democracy and constitution," he said.
The Union Minister further said, "PM Modi laid special emphasis on two main issues in the meeting. He said we will have to work together to take democracy to grassroots in J-K. Secondly, for all-around development in J-K that reaches all communities and areas, there should be cooperation and public participation."
"PM Modi also laid emphasis on the fact that the stakeholders have to work together to take J-K to the path of peace and development," he added.
The all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister concluded at Prime Minister's official residence in New Delhi this evening.
The meeting began at around 3 pm and was attended by 14 prominent leaders from the Union Territory.
This was the first high-level interaction between the Centre and political leadership mainly from Kashmir since August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and the state was bifurcated into two union territories.
Among the leaders who are participated in the meeting were Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad, Tara Chand and GA Mir; National Conference's Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah; PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, J-K Apni Party's Altaf Bukhari; BJP's Ravinder Raina, Nirmal Singh, and Kavinder Gupta; CPI(M)'s M Y Tarigami; National Panthers Party's Prof Bheem Singh; and Peoples Conference's Sajad Gani Lone.
Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Home Secretary also attended the meeting.
Earlier in March this year, the Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir, which was set up in March 2020 to redraw the parliamentary and assemblies constituencies, got a one-year extension from the Central government.
The delimitation panel, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, was set up only for one year. Later, the panel got A gazette notification was issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice on March 3, 2021, in this regard.
( With inputs from ANI )
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