Rajnath hints at a Jammu event
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday set the ball rolling by dropping a clear hint that the first ever Assembly elections in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir are round the corner and may be held by this year-end.
Before winding up his two-day-long visit to Jammu & Kashmir, Singh arrived in Jammu to attend a function marking the 200th coronation ceremony of Maharaja Gulab Singh at Hari Niwas Palace.
Speaking in the presence of former Sadr-e-Riyasat and veteran Parliamentarian Dr Karan Singh, son of last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, Rajnath Singh said the delimitation exercise was completed recently following which the number of seats has increased to 90 with Kashmir division having 47 seats and Jammu 43.
“There’s a strong possibility that the electoral process will commence by the end of this year in J&K,” he added.
The Union Minister also read out the report card of the Narendra Modi-led Government at the Centre while listing out changes brought in J&K after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.
The Defence Minister also said that the neighbouring country is sowing the seeds of hatred in India.
“There’s foreign conspiracy in recent targeted killings in J&K. We need to foil such attempts. We won’t let the forceful migration happen of any person from any religion or sect,” Singh added.
The function was also attended by Lt-Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Vikramaditya Singh, BJP leader Ajatshatru Singh, members of the Maharaja Gulab Singh Memorial Trust, Member Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, besides many former Ministers, ex-MLAs and prominent dignitaries.
After the culmination of the marathon exercise of the delimitation, the Election Commission of India had already initiated the revision of electoral rolls in Jammu & Kashmir. It is mandatory to update the electoral rolls before holding the first ever Assembly polls in the Union Territory.
Official sources said the draft rolls are expected to be ready by August 31.
Last week, the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey had convened a meeting where the J&K Chief Electoral Officer was directed to map the redrawn Assembly constituencies.
During the revision exercise, citizens would be given opportunities to enrol, delete and change their particulars in the electoral rolls.