The News Craving
Staff Report
The electoral scene in Jammu and Kashmir will remain fraught as the BJP has said that people from rest of India can cast ballot here.
This comes close on the heels of Delimitation Commission proposing 6 seats for Jammu region and one only for Kashmir. Though Kashmir enjoys an edge in the population, Commission has said that geographical compactness is a criteria for allocation of seats. Besides annulling the constitution of erstwhile state, New Delhi on August 5, 2019, also laid a framework for delimitation of more seats. BJP spokesperson, Brigadier (retd) Anil Gupta, said that ” there was no concept of local or a nonlocal. Everyone who is an Indian citizen will be eligible to cast ballot as is the case with rest of the country. All laws now apply directly to Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370.” Under the Citizenship Act and other electoral laws the rules governing the casting of votes is laid out. Gupta said that ” we have removed years of discrimination.”
“New position in Jammu and Kashmir has also been reflected in the official website of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly which has set Indian constitution as a benchmark for its functioning. Such measures will seriously undercut the influence of local Kashmiri politicians. Both former chief ministers, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, have ruled out any possibility of taking part in the elections with Jammu and Kashmir remaining as a Union Territory. The powers as well as protocol of UT CM will even be less than that of Army Commanders or Chief Justice of Supreme Court.
Sources said in case the electoral campaign next year remains restricted to official residences of ex-CMs, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, they would further pitch it as the “referendum” on Article 370. Despite the lackluster electoral campaign which was also marked by internal fight within the People Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, the alliance won the majority in last District Development Council elections. Several political observers and leaders however said all major political leaders have shown eagerness to engage with Central Central Government, despite Omar Abdullah cropping up a flowing beard and his father and ex-CM breaking down under detention at his Gupkar residence over the treatment that was meted out to them. Families of several leaders were denied access to meet them at SKICC sub jail, while the mother of People’s Conference leader, Sajad Lone, ran into a heated argument with the jail staff as she was asked to re-write an application to meet her son.
Several leaders have decided to completely give up politics with IAS-topper turned politician, Shah Faesal, announcing his complete dissociation from his party. However, several leaders said that New Delhi engaged with KashmirI leaders that resulted into their dialogue with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, earlier. ” There was a lot of ground work that was made that resulted into current thaw, ” said a senior leader wishing not to be quoted. From complete boycott of Delimitation Commission to participation by NC these are ” new realities” in Kashmir, he added.
Apart from voting rights to non locals, the electoral buzz has also turned on reserving some seats for the Hindus who are settled in Kashmir as well as the Kashmiri Pandits.
