Srinagar: Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir cutting across ideological lines, conveyed to the Chief Election Commissioner on Tuesday that they support simultaneous scheduling of Assembly polls in J&K alongside the Lok Sabha elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also voiced its support for this proposal.
BJP seeks separate polling booths for KPs
– Nasir Aslam Wani, leading the National Conference delegation, said, “We conveyed to the CEC that One Nation One Election is attainable in J&K. We proposed the simultaneous conduct of Assembly and parliamentary polls
– The four-member BJP delegation requested for separate polling booths for Kashmiri Pandit voters
– Congress representatives also sought Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections along with the parliamentary polls
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and nine other officials of the poll panel arrived in Srinagar on Monday evening for a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. They held interactions with delegations from the National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party, BJP, CPI(M), Congress, and the Aam Admi Party at the SKICC, Srinagar.
Nasir Aslam Wani, who led the National Conference delegation, said after the meeting with the CEC-led panel, said his party sought Assembly elections along with the parliamentary polls. “We conveyed to the CEC that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of One Nation One Election is attainable in Jammu and Kashmir, where Assembly polls have been overdue since 2014. We proposed the simultaneous conduct of Assembly and parliamentary polls.” Wani said.
“For the past decade, the people have been denied the opportunity to elect their government. The Assembly polls alongside the parliamentary polls present a crucial opportunity for the people to establish their own governance,” he added.
Wani said the tourism industry is the mainstay of J&K's economy and Assembly elections, if held after the parliamentary polls, could adversely impact it.
The Supreme Court of India on December 11 while upholding the Union government's move to abrogate Article 370 also asked the Central Government to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30 2024, and restore statehood at the earliest.
The NC leader described the CEC's response as positive, expressing optimism for a favourable outcome.
Peoples Democratic Party leader Ghulam Nabi Lone (Hanjura) said he raised concerns about the government's contradictory stance on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the absence of elections. He questioned why the security situation deemed suitable for parliamentary polls wasn't considered so for Assembly polls, He said there is a need for transparency regarding service voters.
The four-member BJP delegation comprising RS Pathania, Rafiq Ahmed Wani, Parimoksh Seth and Showkat Gayoor requested separate polling booths for Kashmiri Pandit voters.
The BJP expressed its readiness to support holding Assembly elections along with the parliamentary polls. “We conveyed our readiness for both parliamentary polls and Assembly polls,” the BJP leaders said.
Congress representatives also sought Assembly elections along with the parliamentary polls.
