The Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir 2023
A fresh plea seeking assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir has been filed in the Supreme Court of India. Senior advocate Harsh Dev Singh on behalf of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, has filed a petition seeking elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Harsh Dev Singh is also a former Jammu and Kashmir minister who mentioned in his plea that Jammu and Kashmir have been deprived of democratic government for the last 4 years.
The central government of India abolished Article 370 in 2019. Since then, the situation in the valley was not as healthy as it was in 2023. The situation is normal in the valley, and different political parties have demanded their rights for election in the valley.
The date of hearing for the pill is yet to be Fixed by the Supreme Court registry.
The senior advocate, Harsh Dev Singh, said in the statement that the Supreme Court of India has mentioned that the assembly elections must be held within 6 months in all the States and union territories where assemblies were prematurely dissolved.
The Future of Democracy In Jammu and Kashmir: Farooq Abdullah
Member of the parliament from Srinagar and the Jammu and Kashmir national conference president, Farooq Abdullah, has also said in a statement that their party will continue its battle for the restoration of democracy and political rights of the people in the valley.
Doctor Abdullah further mentioned in the Speech that their party is fighting for the Honor and dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir through democratic, constitutional and peaceful means.
He further mentioned that holding assembly elections in the valley is going to be the first and most important step towards restoring the constitutional rights guaranteed in the constitution of India and fulfilling the political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Supreme Court of India has already dismissed the plea challenging the March 20 20, decision to form a delimitation Commission. The Supreme Court clearly mentioned that it was a necessary exercise as the total assembly constituencies were increased from 107 to 114 under the Jammu and Kashmir reorganization act passed in the parliament.
The Situation of Pakistan Will Not Impact Jammu and Kashmir: BJP
The situation in Pakistan is not good, as widespread protests broke out across the country after the arrest of ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. He was arrested and manhandled by the paramilitary Rangers from the court compound.
Several political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir raised their concerns regarding the safety of people in the valley.
The president of the national conference, doctor Farooq Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti raised their concerns regarding the dangerous situation in Pakistan and claimed that it might affect Indians as well.
The spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Jammu and Kashmir told the media that the situation of Pakistan will not have any impact on Jammu and Kashmir. There is no need to panic due to the arrest of Imran Khan in Pakistan.
Ashok Kaul, The general secretary of BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, further mentioned in its press release that the situation in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is comparatively better than it was before 2019.
The Jammu and Kashmir branch of the Bharatiya Janata Party is also ready to fight any upcoming elections. Mr Ashok mentioned that the party is in favour of the elections in the valley, and there will be elections in the upcoming months.
The Latest Delimitation of Jammu and Kashmir
The Election Commission of India might announce the elections in Jammu and Kashmir in the upcoming weeks. The Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission has already submitted its duly signed final report to the government, and a gazetted notification was also issued.
The Commission has already redrawn assembly constituencies in the union territory after the abolition of Article 370 in the valley. The officials took 2 years to complete the exercise, and now Jammu will have 43 seats, and the Kashmir region will have 47.
Jammu region used to have 37 seats, while Kashmir Valley enjoyed 46 seats in the assembly. The previous count of total seats was around 83, which shot up to 90 after the delimitation.
The increase of 6 seats in the Jammu region might favor the Bharatiya Janata Party. There are 9 seats reserved for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe populations.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir?
The Election Commission of India has not released any official date for the assembly elections of Jammu and Kashmir. Experts have been expecting that the election might be held in late 2023 or early 2024.