The Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission is likely to submit its report to the government by May, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha told News9. As per Sinha, once the commission submits its report, the Election Commission may take a call on holding the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The draft roll will be published, following which a ‘door to door’ verification of the electoral roll will be done.
The news comes close on the heels of a scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the conflict-prone region. Modi is due to visit the Union Territory on 24 April 2012 to showcase the Centre-lead administration’s work and to inaugurate various projects related to the promised Rs 28000 cr public-private investments.
Despite reservations from nearly the entire gamut of the political spectrum in Kashmir and certain groups in Jammu, the commission has proposed to increase the number of seats in the Union Territory.
The commission has proposed six new Assembly constituencies in the Jammu region which would be carved out from Udhampur, Rajouri, Doda, Kathua, Samba and Kishtwar districts, news agency reported. This will increase the number of Assembly seats from 37 to 43 in the Jammu region.
Similarly, one new seat has been proposed in Kashmir valley, to be carved out from the existing Kupwara district, thus making the assembly seats to 47 from 46 in the Kashmir region.
The commission is headed by Retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and comprises Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and State Election Commissioner KK Sharma. The Commission was established on March 6, 2020, with a one-year term which was extended by another year. While the term was due to expire on March 6, 2022, it was granted two months extension. Jammu and Kashmir has been under President’s Rule since June 2018, when the BJP walked out of the coalition government with the PDP which was led by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
The Modi government had bifurcated the state into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh in August 2019. Jammu and Kashmir, which is now a Union Territory with a legislative assembly, is under President’s Rule under the J&K Reorganisation Act. Last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held once the delimitation exercise is over and after consultation with political parties.
“We have no interest in keeping Jammu and Kashmir under President’s Rule,” Shah had said in Lok Sabha while responding to concerns raised by members on Kashmir during the discussion on the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill. Shah had said that he had made it clear that first panchayat elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir, then this would be followed by the delimitation exercise, after which assembly elections will be held, and then J&K’s statehood will be restored.
“Panchayat elections have been held, without any violence. Zilla panchayat elections are over. Delimitation is on the verge of completion. I would like to say this once again, that once delimitation is completed we will hold elections after consultation with political parties,” Shah had said.