New Delhi:

National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah has expressed strong reservations about the Centre’s potential move of nominating five BJP MLAs to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Mr Abdullah cautioned the Union government and Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha against making these nominations, warning that it could lead to unnecessary political conflict.

Under the rules governing Jammu and Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor has the authority to nominate five members to the Legislative Assembly, which currently consists of 90 elected members. If these five nominees are from the BJP, as is speculated, it would increase the strength of the assembly to 95 members, thereby shifting the majority mark from 46 to 48.

“I would suggest them to not do it (nominate from BJP). Nominating these five will not change the government, so what is the use of it? You would unnecessarily nominate five people to sit in Opposition,” Mr Abdullah said. 

READ | “Analysing Unexpected Results”: Rahul Gandhi On Congress’s Mixed Bag

While the BJP would still be unable to form the government – having won 29 seats – the increase in the majority mark would narrow the NC-Congress alliance’s lead to just one seat above the required threshold. “Independent candidates are talking to us, and they will join us, so our lead will go up,” Mr Abdullah stated.

Mr Abdullah also warned of a potential legal battle if the nominations proceeded. “There would be a fight as we would have to approach the Supreme Court and appeal against it,” he said, adding that this could strain J&K’s relationship with the Centre at a time when cooperation is crucial. “There would be tensions in our relations with the Centre from the first day, a relation that we want to build.”

The NC-Congress alliance emerged victorious in the first J&K elections since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, securing 49 out of 90 seats. Mr Abdullah won both the constituencies he contested from –  Budgam and Ganderbal – with a comfortable majority.

READ | “PM An Honourable Man, Hope He…”: Omar Abdullah’s Key Ask After J&K Win

With 42 seats for the NC and six for the Congress, the alliance has comfortably crossed the initial majority mark of 46. In contrast, the BJP won 29 seats, an improvement from its previous tally of 25 in 2014 but insufficient to take control.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also won one seat, while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) faced a steep decline, winning only three seats compared to its 28 in 2014. The CPI(M)’s Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, a prominent figure from Kulgam, criticised the Centre’s policies, saying, “The vote of the people is against the BJP government and its policies.”

The NC has emerged as the dominant force once again. “There were attempts to destroy the NC over the last five years. So many parties were created whose only aim was to destroy us, but they’ve been decimated,” Mr Abdullah claimed.

READ | “Omar Abdullah Banega J&K Chief Minister,” Announces Farooq Abdullah

While J&K’s integration into the Indian Union after the abrogation of Article 370 has been a contentious issue, the newly elected government faces the daunting task of maintaining stable governance in a politically sensitive environment.

Mr Abdullah made it clear that any move to nominate BJP candidates without consultation would be viewed as an imposition, further alienating the local leadership and stoking tensions. “Let the government be formed, let them give suggestions, and on that basis, the LG should nominate,” he said.

The vice president of the NC further underlined the importance of maintaining good relations with the Centre, suggesting that cooperation is necessary to address the region’s complex issues. “We want to build a relationship with the Centre. J&K cannot afford to have contentious relations with Delhi,” he said.

Srinagar/Jammu:

Jammu and Kashmir is set for the third and final phase of Assembly elections on Tuesday, with 39.18 lakh voters eligible to decide the political fate of 415 candidates in 40 constituencies spread from the plains of Jammu to the mountains of Kashmir.

Voting is scheduled in the 40 Assembly constituencies in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, and Udhampur districts of the Jammu division, and in the Baramulla and Kupwara districts of the Valley.

The Jammu district has 11, Samba three, Kathua six, and Udhampur four Assembly constituencies while Baramulla has seven, Bandipora three, and Kupwara district has six seats.

The Election Commission has set up 5,030 polling stations for voters for the third phase. Special polling stations have also been set up for Kashmiri migrant voters. Of these, 11 are in Jammu, 4 in Delhi, and one in Udhampur district.

EC officials said that all the polling staff with polling material like EVMs, electoral rolls etc have already moved to their respective destinations. Some of the polling stations in the Baramulla and Kupwara districts are located close to the Line of Control (LoC).

Police officials said that an adequate number of security personnel drawn from the CRPF and J&K Police have already reached various polling stations to secure these for the poll staff and the voters.

“Area domination around different polling stations, securing the to and fro passage of poll staff and the general public on the roads and highways has also been ensured due to extraordinary security arrangements in Jammu and the Valley,” a senior police officer said.

The officer added that foolproof security is in place throughout J&K, especially in the districts going to vote on Tuesday so that the terrorists and their sympathisers are prevented from interfering with the poll process.

Given the high-pitch campaign done by various political parties and the contesting candidates, it looks likely that a large number of voters will turn out to vote on Tuesday.

The first two rounds of elections were held on September 18 and 25 and counting of votes will be taken up on October 8.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Srinagar:
The second phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir — held after a gap of 10 years — began today. Polling will be held on 26 seats across six districts — many of them in areas dominated by separatists.

Here are 10 points on this big story:

The polling for the second and third phases in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on September 25 and October 1, respectively.

On September 18, the first phase of assembly elections was conducted on 24 assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir, including 16 seats in the Kashmir region and eight seats in the Jammu region. A voter turnout of 61.13 pc was registered in the first phase polling.- Read more

Kishtwar:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said there is a clear fight between the Congress-National Conference alliance and the BJP – one wanting to bring back Article 370, and the other committed to stopping it.

He said voting in favour of BJP candidate Shugan Parihar is not only for development and progress but also to pay tribute to martyrs, including her father.

“This election in Jammu and Kashmir is clearly between two forces. On one side are the National Conference (NC) and the Congress, and on the other side is the BJP. It is a contest between the BJP and the Gandhi-Abdullah families. Both have clear agendas,” Mr Shah told a public rally here.

He said the BJP follows the ideology of Prem Nath Dogra – “One Constitution, one flag, and one Prime Minister,” affirming that Jammu and Kashmir is an inseparable part of India, and “no one can reverse that”.

Mr Shah, who was campaigning in support of party candidates Shugan Parihar, Sunil Sharma, and Taraq Keen, said the NC and the Congress have said they will restore Article 370 if their government comes to power. “The reservations now available to hill people and Gujjars will be taken away under Article 370,” he said.

“It is a contest between those who want to bring back Article 370 and those who have made it history,” he added.

“What (Prime Minister) Modi ji did by removing Article 370 has become a page in history. There is no place left for Article 370 in the Constitution of India. In Jammu and Kashmir, there can never again be two Constitutions, two prime ministers, and two flags. The flag will always be our beloved tricolour,” he said.

Hitting out at the NC and the Congress, he said efforts are still being made, similar to those in 1990, to strengthen terrorism again. “The NC and the Congress have made some promises that if their government comes to power, they will release terrorists,” he said.

“Today, I tell you all that this is the Narendra Modi government; no one has the courage to spread terrorism on Indian soil,” he added.

He accused the NC-Congress alliance of “nurturing” terrorism. “Whenever the National Conference and the Congress formed the government in the valley, terrorism thrived,” he alleged.

“Remember the 1990s… I want to ask (former chief minister) Farooq Abdullah, who was the chief minister then after a pact with Rajiv Gandhi. Where were you when our valley was drenched in blood?” he added.

Mr Shah said voting for Parihar and making her victorious is not just for peace, progress, and development but also to pay homage to the martyrs of this land, including her father and uncle.

Mr Shah said that if the Congress-National Conference alliance returns to power, “there will be shootings again, stone-pelting will resume, funerals for terrorists will be held again, the Tazia procession will be banned again, cinema halls will be shut down again, there will be attacks on the Amarnath Yatra once more, and the investment coming to Jammu and Kashmir will be replaced by unemployment.” 

He claimed the Congress, which once called the Abdullah family “traitors” and held them responsible for terrorism, had kept Omar Abdullah’s grandfather in jail for years. 

“Today, to defeat Modi ji, Rahul Gandhi and Abdullah are saying ‘ILU ILU’ to each other.” Warning terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said, “There is still time to turn back, otherwise the Indian Army and security forces are stationed here… you will be dealt with right here.” 

He said PM Modi has “strengthened” democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. “I want to ask Farooq Abdullah – your family ruled for three generations, but did the people of Jammu and Kashmir ever receive free medical treatment worth up to Rs 5 lakh? Modi ji has provided free treatment worth up to Rs 5 lakh to everyone, from the valley to the plains.” 

Recalling the party’s long battle over Kashmir, he said, “Under the leadership of Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, the Praja Parishad and the Bharatiya Jana Sangh fought against the idea of ‘two flags, two Constitutions, and two leaders’ in one country.” Shah alleged the Congress government, led by the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, crushed the movement. “They used to say, even if stars fall from the sky, Article 370 will never be removed.” 

Taking a dig at political leaders’ remarks on Article 370, Mr Shah said, “Farooq Ji used to say that even if Modi ji becomes prime minister ten times, Article 370 cannot be removed. Mehbooba ji said that if Article 370 is removed, rivers of blood will flow. But our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi removed Article 370 and established ‘one flag, one leader, and one Constitution’ in the country.” He described Kishtwar as a land of martyrs. 

“Due to Congress’ wrong policies, the decision on Jammu and Kashmir’s future during partition was delayed due to Nehru’s Sheikh-supporting policies,” he added.

He further said that whenever there was a crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, the people of Kishtwar never hesitated to sacrifice. “During terrorism of the 1990s, every citizen here fought alongside the security forces and contributed to eradicating terrorism.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Srinagar:

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said it is “better late than never” for the banned Jamaat-e-Islami leaders to participate in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir elections.

“We were told that elections are haram (forbidden) but now the elections have become halal (permissible). It is better late than never,” Mr Abdullah told reporters at Pahalgam in Anantnag district.

The former chief minister said he has been saying for a long time that democracy is the only way forward.

“For 35 years, Jamaat Islami followed a particular political ideology which has changed now. It is good.

“We wanted that the ban on Jamaat be lifted and they contest on their own symbol but didn’t happen. It is still good that they are contesting as independents,” he said.

In response to a question, Mr Abdullah said it is for the voters to decide which party Jamaat is supporting if it extends support to the People’s Conference (PC).

“People’s Conference’s ties with the BJP are out there in the public. If Jamaat supports PC, then the voter will know which side they are supporting.

“We don’t know of any relations between AIP (led by Baramulla Lok Sabha MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid) and Delhi. If Jamaat is supporting PC and AIP, it would raise questions on AIP as well,” he said.

Mr Abdullah expressed confidence that the National Conference-Congress alliance will get majority in the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly when results are out on October 4.

In a lengthy post on X, PC leader Sajad Lone said he was pleased with Jamaat-affiliated individuals contesting the elections.

“I am extremely pleased if the news that some individuals affiliated with Jamaat Islamia are contesting elections is true. I sincerely hope it is,” he said.

“@JKPCOfficial and Jamaat have coexisted in the mainstream political space prior to 1989. We rarely agreed politically and often fought each other bitterly in elections. Ideologically there was never an overlap,” Mr Lone added.

Mr Lone said many prominent Jamaat leaders spent years in jail, often sharing cells with his late father.

“Today, we will be contesting against them on the ground once again. But despite our political differences, I am glad that a party which has truly struggled will be participating in the elections,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Srinagar:

Several former members of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday filed nomination papers to contest the Assembly polls in the Union Territory as independent candidates.

Sugra Barkati, daughter of jailed separatist worker Sarjan Barkati, also filed nomination papers on behalf of her father.

While Jamaat cannot take part in the elections due to the ban imposed on it by the Union home ministry, it had shown interest in participating in the polls during the Lok Sabha elections if the ban were removed.

Jamaat has not taken part in any elections after 1987 and had been a part of the separatist amalgam Hurriyat Conference, which advocated for poll boycotts, from 1993 to 2003.

Talat Majeed, former ameer (chief) of Jamaat, filed his nomination papers from the Pulwama constituency as an independent candidate.

Majeed said that after pondering over the changing geo-political scenario since 2008, he felt the need to shun some of the past “rigidities”.

“In view of the prevalent geo-political scenario, I felt that the time had come for us to take part in the political process. I have been expressing my views since 2014 very openly and I am taking that agenda forward even today,” he said.

Majeed said organisations like Jamaat and Hurriyat Conference have a role to play in the current political scenario.

“We cannot ignore the situation globally when we talk about the situation in Kashmir. As Kashmiris, we should live in the present and look towards a (better) future,” he added.

Sayar Ahmad Reshi, another former Jamaat leader, is also contesting the elections from the Kulgam Assembly seat.

Reshi appealed to the people to vote according to their conscience.

“It is up to Allah to bless or disgrace a person… but I will appeal to people to vote as per their conscience,” he said, adding “we will launch a historic movement for reforms”.

Reshi, while admitting that the youth have been weaned away from violence by introducing them to sports, said the youngsters need jobs.

“There is no doubt that the youth have been given bats but it will not fill their stomach. There is unemployment and killings are going on. Elderly people have to run from pillar to post just for a meagre old age pension of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. We will work for social justice,” he added.

Sarjan Barkati, who shot to prominence during the turmoil which erupted following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016, will be contesting from the Shopian district.

His daughter — Sugra Barkati — filed the nomination papers on behalf of her father, who is in jail on terror charges.

Assembly polls are being held in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The polls –” the first in 10 years –” will be held in three phases with the first phase of polling on September 18, followed by September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be done on October 4. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jammu:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the BJP’s campaign in the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the first such democratic exercise after the erstwhile state was downgraded to Union Territory in August 2019.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president J P Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were also included in the list of 40 star campaigners submitted by the party to the Election Commission for the first phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Manohar Lal Khattar, G Kishan Reddy, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Jitendra Singh and former union ministers Anurag Thakur and Smriti Irani and Gen (Retd.) V K Singh besides Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur are other prominent faces who will visit Jammu and Kashmir during the campaigning.

The three-phased assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled for September 18, 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 4.

In a letter addressed to the Election Commission, BJP national general secretary and in-charge headquarters Arun Singh said the list of the 40 star campaigners of the party may be treated as valid for the remaining phases “unless we forward an amended list” within the prescribed time limit.

The list also included former BJP general secretary and recently appointed election incharge for Jammu and Kashmir Ram Madhav, party national general secretary incharge Jammu and Kashmir Tarun Chugh, Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina, Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Ali Khatana, General secretary (organization) Ashok Kaul and Jammu and Kashmir BJP vice president Sofi Yousuf.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jammu:

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not form any pre-poll alliance in Jammu and Kashmir, state party president Ravinder Raina said here.

He, however, said discussions are ongoing with 8 to 10 independents in the Kashmir valley for contesting the elections together.

He said the party is fully geared up for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and will announce the first list of candidates soon.

“The BJP will have no pre-poll alliance with any political party in Jammu and Kashmir,” Mr Raina told reporters here.

“We are in talks with 8 to 10 independent candidates in the Kashmir Valley. If these discussions materialise, we will formulate a strategy to contest the elections jointly,” he said.

The BJP will field its candidates in the Kashmir valley and win the elections with a majority, he said.

“We will contest the majority of seats in Jammu and Kashmir. However, we are working on a strategy for joint contest with some independent candidates in Kashmir (Valley),” he said. “The BJP will have a big victory in J&K and will form its government in the union territory.”

On former minister Choudhary Zulfikar Ali joining the BJP, Mr Raina said he is a prominent leader with a strong support base in the Rajouri-Poonch belt. “The BJP will receive a significant boost from his inclusion.”

Responding to former chief minister Omar Abdullah’s statement on Article 370, Mr Raina said Mr Abdullah’s party is losing ground in Jammu and Kashmir, which is why he is issuing such remarks.

Mr Abdullah stated on Saturday that as its first action after the Assembly polls in the Union Territory, the Jammu and Kashmir House would pass a resolution against the Centre’s decision to revoke Article 370. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)