Political stir in Jammu and Kashmir for elections, opposition parties will meet EC. Explained Opposition Parties in jammu and kashmir to meet election commission with polls in mind
Now all the opposition parties are preparing to meet the Election Commission for the demand of holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir. They are being led by National Conference President Dr. Farooq Abdullah.
Image Credit source: PTI
New Delhi. National Conference President Dr. Farooq Abdullah is leading a 13-member delegation of political parties of National Jammu and Kashmir. This delegation will meet the Election Commission and leaders of opposition parties in Delhi.
The agenda of the meeting of these leaders is to discuss the issues related to Jammu and Kashmir. After the breakdown of the BJP-PDP alliance in the year 2018, no elected government has been formed in the state. Several rounds of meetings are to be held between the all-party delegation of the state and the opposition leaders. One of these meetings is going to be held at the Constitutional Club in New Delhi.
Representatives of National Conference, PDP, Congress, J&K Panthers Party, J&K ANC, CPI(M), Dogra Saba, Shiv Sena and Aam Aadmi Party are participating in the meeting. Dr Abdullah will later lead the delegation to a meeting with the Election Commission of India.
Sajjad’s Lone People’s Conference and Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party are not participating in these meetings.
What is the issue after all?
Both these meetings have taken place a few days after the all-party meeting was chaired by Dr. Abdullah. After these meetings, the political parties decided to meet the Election Commission for early assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. There is no elected government in Jammu and Kashmir since the break-up of the PDP-BJP alliance.
The central government has tightened its grip on Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, 2019, when the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two union territories. Meanwhile, the central government has put the issue of holding elections in the hands of the Election Commission. Its argument is that legally, the Election Commission has the right to announce the dates for any election exercise.
The delegation will discuss the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir where the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha-led administration is facing growing public protests over controversial policy decisions. Controversial policy decisions have united opposition parties as well.
Growing anger against LG’s decisions
Several decisions of the LG administration have created widespread concern in Jammu and Kashmir. This year started with the ‘anti-encroachment’ campaign of the administration. The campaign provoked public outrage and protests in some parts of the union territory. Later the administration was forced to stop this campaign.
The anger fueled by the anti-encroachment campaign had not yet subsided that the administration started the policy of imposing property tax in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu is considered a stronghold of the BJP, but here too there was opposition to this policy and a bandh was held against it last week.
Earlier this week, the administration was forced to cancel the contract allotted to Mumbai-based Aptech Ltd. This company was given the contract to conduct the examination to fill the vacant posts of sub-inspectors and junior engineers.
Several candidates took to the streets demanding cancellation of the contract given to the ‘tainted’ firm. After their strong protest, the administration had to cancel the contract. This firm is already blacklisted in many states and union territories including Jammu and Kashmir.
unity of opposition parties
These controversial decisions have created unity among the opposition parties of Jammu and Kashmir. The Gupkar Alliance, a regional alliance of political parties of Jammu and Kashmir, opposes the removal of Article 370. Dr Abdullah’s meeting with opposition parties and the Election Commission in the national capital will breathe new life into the dying political life of Jammu and Kashmir, which has been without an elected government since 2018.
On one hand, the opposition parties want early assembly elections, while the central government is not showing commitment due to security concerns. Even though violence in Kashmir is currently at its lowest level, but last month a Kashmiri Pandit was shot dead there.
Although Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a record number of tourists last year and the G-20 event is about to be held in Srinagar, the opposition is going to target the central government afresh for delaying the elections under the guise of security concerns.