Centre reiterates commitment to restore J&K’s statehood

The government on Wednesday (December 15) said holding polls in Jammu and Kashmir was the prerogative of the Election Commission and stressed that statehood would be granted to the Union territory at an “appropriate time”.

Replying to written questions in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the decision to schedule elections in the Union territory was the prerogative of the Election Commission of India.

Also read: Delimitation, elections and then statehood: Amit Shah promises J&K

The erstwhile state was converted into a union territory on August 5, 2019 and bifurcated into Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. In reply to another part of the question about any timeline for granting statehood to the Union territory, the minister said, “Statehood would be granted to Jammu and Kashmir at an appropriate time.”

This isn’t the first time that the Centre has hinted at restoring the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir that has been under the Centre’s rule since June 2018 following the fall of the Mehbooba Mufti government after the BJP pulled out its support. The process apparently got delayed because of the ongoing delimitation exercise (deciding new parliamentary and assembly constituencies). It is expected that the exercise will get completed by March next year.

(With inputs from agencies)