Delimitation First, Then Elections, Statehood Later: LG Sinha

As anticipation builds for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reaffirmed on Sunday that the sequence of events will follow Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement in Parliament: delimitation first, followed by assembly elections, and then the restoration of statehood at the appropriate time.

LG Sinha emphasized that the process is unfolding as planned. He mentioned that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Srinagar on June 20, he announced that elections would be held soon. The Election Commission has since visited the region and consulted with stakeholders, with the announcement of election dates expected shortly.

During the inauguration of the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre at the University of Jammu, LG Sinha reiterated the commitment to this timeline, expressing hope that assembly elections will take place soon.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar also expressed the Election Commission’s commitment to holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible, despite disruptive forces. Kumar noted that all political parties in the region are strongly advocating for the elections.

Jammu and Kashmir, with its 90 assembly constituencies, is preparing for elections after a decade-long gap. The last assembly election was in 2014, and the region has been without an elected government since the PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed in June 2018. The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to conclude the election process by September 30, 2024.