New Delhi, October 8 :
After Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent “successful” visit to Jammu and Kashmir, an upbeat BJP claimed that preparatory works were “on course” to go to the hustings alone, as the party expected the Assembly elections in the union territory to be held in the summers next year.
Sources in the Election Commission said the final electoral rolls would be published by the end of next month, as scrutiny of the voters’ list would be completed by that time. The revision of the electoral rolls of the UT began soon after submission of the report of the Delimitation Commission redrawing the Assembly segments in May this year.
What is important is the fact that the fresh electoral rolls will include migrants from PoK and erstwhile West Pakistan as well as those who had left Kashmir during height of militancy. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had earlier issued an order giving voting rights to a person residing in J&K for at least 15 years, as he or she will be treated as a domicile of the UT.
BJP leaders appeared quite enthused after seeing large turnout and the response of the crowd at Shah’s public rally in Baramulla. They claimed that such a response was indicative of the “normalised” atmosphere in the Valley, which “makes us believe that the time has come to hold elections”.
On the Home Minister’s stance of “no talks with Pakistan”, sources in the BJP said the party would not go in for any alliance with a party that demands for dialogue with Islamabad or has any links with the Hurriyat. They said the BJP would not have any poll arrangements with the newly formed Democratic Azad Party of former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad either.
Shah, during his three-day visit to the UT, had announced that Paharis of J&K would soon get reservation in education and jobs as ST, which is seen as a pre-election promise aimed at widening his party’s support base.
