J&K Elections: Delimitation First, Assembly Polls Next Says LG Manoj Sinha

Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday reiterated that the government's stance on assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir has remained "unchanged" since the abrogation of Article 370 and expressed hope that the Election Commission will soon declare the polling dates.

He emphasised that the administration is ready to hold elections in the union territory, expressing confidence that they will be "peaceful and fair".

"The full team of the Election Commission came to Jammu and Kashmir and returned after assessing the ground reality. The (polling) dates are decided by the Election Commission, and with the direction in which things are moving, I hope it will soon declare the date of the assembly elections in accordance with the wishes of the honourable Supreme Court," Sinha told PTI here in an exclusive interview.

Sinha was responding to a series of questions about the ECI's visit, the date of the polls, and the earlier concerns raised by political parties regarding the conduct of elections as per the apex court's directions.

"I would like to take you back to when Article 370 and 35A were abrogated. On that day, the home minister stated in Parliament that the sequence (of action) would be delimitation first, followed by assembly elections, and then statehood at an appropriate time. There has been no change in this stance from that day till today," he said.

"The assembly size was increased, and following that, the Delimitation Commission, chaired by Justice Ranjana Desai, worked on setting new boundaries. This was a time-consuming process. The Delimitation Commission also visited Jammu and Kashmir, consulted all stakeholders, and completed the delimitation process," he explained.

Clarifying the government's intentions regarding elections in the union territory, Sinha maintained that both Shah and Modi have consistently stated that the assembly polls would be conducted at the earliest possible.

"When the Prime Minister visited Srinagar on June 20 for Yoga Day, he reiterated this in a public programme," he added.

The recent visit of the Election Commission was the first major exercise for preparing the grounds for holding the maiden Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5, 2019.

The visit of the three-member EC team led by Kumar comes ahead of the September 30 deadline given by the Supreme Court for the completion of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

However, opposition parties, including the National Conference and Congress, have raised concerns that the government might delay the elections in Jammu and Kashmir due to the recent surge in terror attacks.

LG Sinha pointed out that the Lok Sabha elections in the union territory were successful, with an overall 58 per cent voter turnout. Over 50 percent voted in the valley alone, he said.

"This is significant, as it marks the first time in 35-36 years that such a large number of people, including youngsters, women, and elders, voted in the valley. It clearly shows that people have faith in democracy. Earlier, only 11-12 per cent of voters used to participate," he told PTI during the interview at Raj Bhavan here.

Addressing concerns raised during previous elections in Jammu and Kashmir, he remarked that, except for one or two instances, all past elections were questioned by people who said the polls were unfair but the recent Lok Sabha elections were "conducted peacefully and in a completely fair manner".

"The administration is fully prepared for the assembly elections, and I am confident that they will be completely peaceful and fair," he added.

Responding to criticism from some political parties regarding jailed leader Engineer Rashid's election to the Parliament and how it could lead to increased separatism in democratic politics, Sinha asserted that people's decision in a democracy is supreme.

"It is true that such elements have reached Parliament. The country knows them, and we know them too. I urge voters, who have total freedom in a democracy, to make decisions with the national interest in mind," he said.

He further stated that the Jammu and Kashmir administration would take all necessary steps to prevent such people from advancing in politics.

Addressing criticism regarding the recent notification by the Centre empowering him, Sinha said this is not a new development. "There is no amendment. The State Reorganisation Act of October 31 included it, and the notification was issued before the elections," he added.

The LG also expressed confidence that the Supreme Court of India has endorsed the Parliament's decision regarding the abrogation of Article 370, 35-A, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act.

"Those who speak about the Constitution and democracy should keep this in mind," he said, calling the abrogation of Article 370 "historic".

Sinha remarked that several people raised the issue before the top court.

"The full bench of the Supreme Court upheld the decision taken by the Parliament of India. Responsible individuals in India should not have raised this issue again," he concluded, responding to criticism from some political circles regarding Article 370 abrogation and the downgrading of the state to a union territory.