Former Law Minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, Syed Basharat Bukhari, expressed disappointment over the exclusion of J&K from simultaneous elections with other states during the Parliament elections. He stated that this decision indicated the government’s acknowledgment that the situation in J&K was not favorable.
Bukhari remarked that this admission contrasted with the BJP’s previous rhetoric following the abrogation of Article 370. He sharply criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) for not conducting Assembly and parliamentary elections simultaneously in J&K. He found it perplexing that the situation was considered conducive for elections in one area but adverse in another.
While acknowledging one silver lining, which was the acknowledgment by the J&K Administration of the unfavorable situation, Bukhari questioned the logic behind delaying elections due to the completion of the reorganization and delimitation process. He argued that the three-month period since the completion of these processes should have been sufficient to hold elections, especially considering they hadn’t been held for a decade.
Bukhari lamented that while the day of elections was celebrated as a “Festival of Democracy” in the rest of the country, it brought disappointment to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who felt isolated and alienated once again. He criticized the BJP for claiming a mega rally in the region, which he believed should have served as an eye-opener but ended in disappointment.
He hoped that the Home Minister would respond to the concerns raised by the J&K Administration during the ECI’s recent visit to the region.
