New Delhi: In the Centre’s first such effort since August 5, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with leaders of mainstream parties in Jammu and Kashmir at 3 pm at his New Delhi residence, today, June 23.
The meeting has garnered pitched attention and has been regarded as a climbdown of sorts by the Modi government, which had, until a time been vocal with its dismissal of mainstream Jammu and Kashmir parties as dynastic.
While no agenda has been set, there are rumours that the meeting will have discussion on delimitation – the re-designation of constituencies – which would in turn pave the way for what is being assumed to be the first assembly election in the Union Territory since its special status as a state was scrapped nearly two years ago.
However, there has been no official confirmation of this. Jammu and Kashmir recently had District Development Council elections and has been under Centre’s rule for the last three years.
A day ago, on June 22, the Election Commission held a virtual meeting with the Deputy Commissioners of all Jammu and Kashmir districts to discuss details of all existing electoral constituencies, Indian Express has reported.
“At the meeting Wednesday, the DCs were asked about problems faced by voters of an area of an assembly constituency which does not have any geographical contiguity, whether voters have to travel long distances in such constituencies, or places which fall in one district but are included in a constituency falling in some other district,” Express has said.
On June 22, the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, the coalition of mainstream parties in Jammu and Kashmir, announced that it would attend the meeting.
Most of the 14 leaders, including four ex-chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, invited for the meeting arrived in the National Capital by Wednesday evening.
The PAGD, comprising the National Conference, PDP, CPM, CPI, Awami National Conference and People’s Movement, is chaired by former Union minister Farooq Abdullah. Leaders of the Alliance had told The Wire that pressing for restoration of statehood will be their chief goal at the meeting.
“We have not been given an agenda. We will be attending the meeting to know what the Centre is offering, said CPM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, who is also a spokesman for the PAGD.
The National Conference, meanwhile, continued intra-party interactions and a delegation of Jammu-based leaders headed by Devendra Rana met party president Farooq Abdullah at the latter’s residence in New Delhi on Wednesday.