J&K: BJP Says Ready For Polls As Rahul Gandhi's ‘Lack Of Democracy’ Taunt Unnerves The Party

With the Congress party attacking the BJP for turning Jammu and Kashmir from full-fledged state to Union Territory to “an attached office of Home Ministry” the BJP Monday evening said it is ready for polls in J&K.

''BJP is ready for Assembly elections and will form the next government in J&K with absolute majority'', BJP Jammu and Kashmir president Ravinder Raina said on Monday evening after a two-day long meeting held in Kathua.

The meeting was attended by BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, Union MoS PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh, MP Jugal Kishore Sharma and others.

Rahul Gandhi in his address earlier the day said the biggest issue in J&K is the restoration of political process and statehood. He accused the BJP of snatching rights from people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the Congress party would work for the restoration of statehood and will put all its might behind restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.

The BJP is being accused by almost all parties for delaying elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

On January 18, when the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for Nagaland, Tripura, and Meghalaya Assembly polls, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said it is not the Election Commission of India which is delaying the polls in J&K but it is the BJP that is holding back polls in J&K citing security situation of Jammu and Kashmir.

Omar had said the BJP’s move to cite the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir is an excuse and nothing else. “After abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, the BJP told the whole world that the militancy has ended in Jammu and Kashmir. The situation has normalized in Jammu and Kashmir. When the weather is clear and the situation is also normal, not holding the polls indicates the BJP is afraid of the polls,” Omar said.

While Chugh in the BJP meeting said BJP has a 70 years long history of struggles and sacrifices to abrogate Article 370 in order to revive democracy and to give democratic rights to women, , he accused Congress, NC, PDP of making J&K as terrorist hub.

However, an important address in the meeting was of Ravinder Raina, who talked about holding elections.

BJP J&K general secretary Vibodh Gupta accused Congress senior leader Digvijay Singh of “talking like a traitor” to undermine the Indian Army. “A traitor like him who seems to be an agent of Pakistan and China doesn't deserve to be in the land of India. The country will never accept him or his leader Rahul Gandhi."

Since November 2018, when the legislative assembly was dissolved by then governor Satya Pal Malik, J & K has been without the elected government.

Earlier it was expected after the Delimitation Commission report the BJP will hold polls in J&K. On May 6 last year, Delimitation Commission finalized its two yearlong exercises recommending the creation of six additional assembly constituencies in the Jammu region and one more in the Kashmir valley. But the party didn’t talk about the polls.

Later on November 26, 2022, the final electoral roll of Jammu and Kashmir was published with the addition of more than 7.72 lakh voters.

The political parties were hoping after the release of electoral rolls, polls will be announced but no announcement has come from the ECI so far. The parties are now blaming the BJP for delaying the polls.