New Delhi, July 5: Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a pivotal meeting of BJP leaders from Jammu and Kashmir in the national capital on Thursday.
Devinder Kumar Maniyal, a senior BJP leader, shared insights following the meeting, highlighting the region’s unique status as a Union Territory directly governed by the Ministry of Home Affairs. He noted that such meetings, held quarterly every two months, focused significantly on the recent parliamentary elections. “We provided comprehensive updates on the entire electoral process… We are prepared to contest on all 90 seats in the upcoming elections,” Maniyal stated.
Notably, Jammu and Kashmir is anticipated to witness its first Assembly elections in September this year, following the Supreme Court’s timeline set after the abrogation of the state’s special status under Article 370 in 2019. The last Assembly elections in the former state were held in 2014.
Since the abrogation, there have been calls from various political factions for early Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and the restoration of its statehood.
Earlier directives from the Supreme Court urged the Election Commission of India and the Central government to conduct elections by September.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar affirmed earlier that Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir would be scheduled post the Lok Sabha elections. In an interview with ANI, Kumar clarified, “We are yet to conduct Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir… The region is experiencing snowfall in March, making it impractical to hold elections at this juncture.”
He further explained, “During our visit to Jammu and Kashmir, all political parties unanimously requested conducting state Assembly elections alongside the Lok Sabha polls. Subsequently, we held administrative consultations, recognizing the significant security arrangements required for simultaneous elections in Jammu and Kashmir.”
