Says Assembly Elections in J&K to be conducted in October
Kashmir’s situation largely peaceful ; RPI plans to field 10-15 candidates in Assembly polls
Srinagar, Aug 08:Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale on Thursday said that the Centre may restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir before October this year.
Speaking at a press conference in Srinagar, Athawale also hinted that legislative assembly elections could be scheduled for the same month.
“Elections are due in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh before October. I hope that statehood for Jammu and Kashmir might be restored, with elections potentially taking place in October,” Athawale stated. He encouraged the people of J&K to participate in record-breaking voter turnout, recalling the Home Minister’s promise to restore statehood and conduct elections following the abrogation of Article 370.
The Minister praised the high voter turnout in the recent Lok Sabha elections, commending the people for their role in strengthening democracy. He noted that since the abrogation of Article 370, tourism in Jammu and Kashmir has surged, with over 2.11 crore tourists, including foreigners, visiting the region.
“People no longer fear visiting Kashmir, which was previously hindered by terrorism,” Athawale said, citing Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s report that peace largely prevails, despite some isolated incidents.
Athawale also highlighted the social justice initiatives in the region, noting that over 2 lakh pre- and post-matric scholarships have been awarded to Scheduled Caste (SC) students and more than 84,000 scholarships to Other Backward Class (OBC) students. He added that SC and OBC communities each constitute 8% of the population in J&K, though no SC families currently reside in the Kashmir Valley.
The Minister disclosed that 74 cases have been registered under the Atrocities Act against SCs and OBCs in the region. He further announced plans to establish an old age home in every district, noting that there are currently 16 such facilities in J&K.
“Our party, the Republican Party of India (RPI), plans to field 10-15 candidates in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly elections,” he added.
