New Delhi: The special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked in 2019. Ladakh, which was attached to it, was split into two Union Territories.
Now senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has quit the party which has benefited the BJP. Due to this, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has started planning the strategy by inviting the leaders of Jammu and Kashmir to Delhi from yesterday.
When the PDP was the ruling party in Jammu and Kashmir, it had an alliance with the BJP. BJP leaders were also included in its cabinet.
Small parties
So, in the current consultation, the BJP is planning to form the government with the help of smaller parties in Kashmir. For this, the party has also decided to nominate the chief ministerial candidate. In this list, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh and Jammu and Kashmir BJP State President Ravindra Rana are included.
In a meeting with Union Minister Amit Shah, the timing of the assembly elections was discussed. After the formation of 2 union territories of Kashmir and Ladakh, the assembly constituencies are being reorganized. Elections are likely to be held in April next year after this work. If such an election is held, its results will have an impact on the Lok Sabha elections. Also, since the BJP’s victory in Kashmir is not certain, it seems that the ruling BJP at the center may plan to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir along with the Lok Sabha in 2024.
The last assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held in 2014. Out of the total 87 constituencies at that time, Megabooba Mufti’s PDP won 28 and BJP 25 seats. Among other major parties, NC won 15, Congress won 12, JKPC won 2, CPIM and JKPDF won 1 each, while independents won 1 each.
Later in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference Party (NC) won 3 in Kashmir and BJP 3 in Jammu region out of 6 constituencies. The PDP formed the government in 2014 with the support of the BJP and the party suffered a crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha.
Former Chief Ministers Umar Abdullah of NC and Megabooba of PDP have also announced that they will not contest the Union Territory Legislative Assembly elections due to removal of separate status, but both parties will contest the elections.