Assembly elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir this month: Union Minister Kishan Reddy on the anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 | Mint

Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in September this year, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said on August 5, the fifth anniversary of the scrapping of most provisions of Article 370 that gave special status to the erstwhile state.

Reddy, who is also the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) election in-charge in Jammu and Kashmir, urged the people of the Union Territory to vote for the saffron party to maintain the “pace of development” and uproot terrorism.

According to news agency PTI, Reddy said that after the abrogation of Article 370 by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government on August 5 five years ago, the activities of Pakistan and its intelligence agency ISI in Jammu and Kashmir have been curbed to a great extent.

Reddy is the Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region.

Jammu and Kashmir has been under the Union government since June 19, 2018, when the coalition government led by People’s Democratic Party’s Mehbooba Mufti fell after its alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew support. Manoj Sinha is currently the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of the Union Territory.

Reddy, the BJP’s election in-charge in Jammu and Kashmir, was addressing the ‘Ekatma Mahotsav’ rally organised by his party to mark the fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 at the Bana Singh Stadium on the outskirts of Jammu here. BJP national general secretary and Jammu and Kashmir in-charge Tarun Chugh and Union Territory BJP president Ravinder Raina were among the other prominent speakers.

On July 31, Raina said that the BJP would form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir on its own.

“Assembly elections will be held in September and we are confident that people will bring the BJP to power with an absolute majority because of the changes the party has brought about by scrapping Article 370 and extending BR Ambedkar’s Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir,” the minister said.

Last year, during the hearing of the Article 370 abrogation case, the Supreme Court had directed the Election Commission to conduct assembly elections in the Union Territory by September 30, 2024.

He said, “People have to decide which government they want in Jammu and Kashmir, the one which is talking about Article 370 or a BJP-led government which wants to take Jammu and Kashmir to new heights of development, peace and prosperity.”

The BJP leader’s remarks came at a time when the Election Commission has asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to transfer officers posted in their home districts. The Election Commission does this routinely before elections. Apart from this, the Election Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar will visit Jammu and Kashmir from August 8-10 and review the preparations for the assembly elections in the Union Territory.

This order is important as it indicates that assembly elections are due in the Union Territory. The Election Commission has also issued similar instructions to the chief secretaries of Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand. Assembly elections are due in these three states later this year.

Reddy asked people not to vote for the Congress and the National Conference as terrorism and separatism are likely to flourish again if they come back to power. He said the BJP is the only party that can ensure peace by not allowing Pakistan and its sponsored terrorists to target Indian citizens.