Parties advocate for concurrent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in J&K

Cross-party political parties in Jammu and Kashmir informed the Chief Election Commissioner on Tuesday that they are in favor of holding Assembly elections in J&K concurrently with the Lok Sabha elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expressed their support of this idea in addition.

Rajiv Kumar, the chief electoral commissioner, and nine other election panel members arrived in Srinagar on Monday night in preparation for their three-day tour to Jammu and Kashmir. At the SKICC in Srinagar, they spoke with representatives from the Aam Admi Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, the BJP, the CPI(M), the National Conference (NC), and the Congress.

Following the discussion with the CEC-led panel, Nasir Aslam Wani, the leader of the National Conference delegation, said that his party was seeking Assembly elections in addition to parliamentary elections. “We informed the CEC that Jammu and Kashmir, whose assembly elections are long delayed since 2014, can achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s One Nation One Election objective. We suggested holding the Assembly and parliamentary elections at the same time. Wani said.

“The people haven’t been able to choose their government for the last ten years. Along with the parliamentary elections, the Assembly polls provide a critical chance for the people to choose their own government, he said.

According to Wani, the tourist sector is the backbone of J&K’s economy, and if assembly elections are scheduled after parliamentary elections, they might have a negative effect on it.

In addition to confirming the Union government’s decision to repeal Article 370, the Supreme Court of India ordered the Central Government to call elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024, and to restore statehood as soon as possible on December 11.

The NC leader expressed confidence for a favorable conclusion and characterized the CEC’s reaction as constructive.

Ghulam Nabi Lone (Hanjura), the head of the Peoples Democratic Party, said he was concerned by the government’s inconsistent position on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the lack of elections. He questioned why the kind of security that was seen appropriate for parliamentary elections was not thought to be appropriate for assembly elections, arguing that service voters need to be transparent.

The four-member BJP delegation, which included Showkat Gayoor, Parimoksh Seth, Rafiq Ahmed Wani, and RS Pathania, asked for separate voting places for voters who are Pandit from Kashmir.

The BJP said that it would be willing to back simultaneous Assembly and parliamentary elections. The BJP leaders said, “We conveyed our readiness for both parliamentary polls and Assembly polls.”

Besides the parliamentary polls, Congress members also pursued Assembly elections.