Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Aug 13: Political parties that had gone into oblivion after the abrogation of J&K’s special status last year are apparently trying to put their act together.
The regional parties in the Valley have once again started raising the issues and are coming up with the statements almost on daily basis. “It seems that these parties have sensed that revival of political activities in Jammu and Kashmir is on cards,” an analyst told Precious Kashmir.
He said, “During the past few days statements of political parties are pouring in from all the corners and the leaders are making every possible attempt to make their presence felt.”
It’s in place to mention here that soon after former union minister and senior BJP leader Manoj Sinha was appointed as second Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, people started talking about the revival of political process in the erstwhile J&K state, which was bifurcated into two union territories, J&K and Ladakh on August 5, 2019. The J&K UT has an assembly while Ladakh is a UT without a legislature.
After LG Sinha’s appointment National general secretary of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Ram Madhav said that Sinha has been appointed to revive political process in J&K.
An observer said, “Recently J&K Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam hinted that J&K will remain a Union Territory till the system is set right. It means that the political parties will have to fight assembly elections in a UT and J&K getting statehood back in near future looks difficult.”
He said, “Before the assembly elections are held the delimitation exercise has to be completed. It may take few more months for the delimitation commission to demarcate the new assembly and parliamentary constituencies.”
Another analyst said, “The regional parties have to remain relevant if they want to become stakeholders in the new political process which is all set to commence.”
He said, “National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party and others are trying to tell the people and the administration that they should not be written off and they are ready to make a comeback.”
A politician, who wished not be named, said, “Most of us have realized that we will have to fight for the things which we can achieve. We can’t run after illusions and give false hopes to people. Politics in coming days is going to be an entirely different ball game.”
Political parties coming out of ‘oblivion’ in Kashmir
