Elections In J&K Will Happen Before SC Deadline Of September 30: Amit Shah

NEW DELHI, Mar 20: Elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted before September 30, Union Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday.

Speaking at CNN-News18 Rising India Summit 2024 in New Delhi, Shah said, “Voting in Jammu and Kashmir will happen before the Supreme Court of India’s deadline of September 30.”

On December 11, 2023, the apex court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024.

“We direct that steps shall be taken to conduct elections for the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024, and statehood shall be restored as soon as possible,” the bench said.

The last Assembly polls in J&K were held in 2014. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) formed a coalition government with the BJP. But in 2018, the BJP pulled out of the alliance and the government collapsed. Following that, the Assembly was dissolved and the Governor’s Rule came into place.

On August 5, 2019, the Centre abrogated Article 370 and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into the Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Slamming the opposition, the Union Home Minister, at the summit, also mentioned that those who have denied democracy and welfare to Kashmir for 75 years should be punished.

Talking about BJP’s performance in the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 elections, Shah said he believes the party will give its best performance to date in Uttar Pradesh and will get more seats than in the 2014 polls.

The minister also stated that India will defeat the ‘parivaar-waad’ parties.