PM Modi: Leaders of most political parties in Kashmir have welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that assembly elections will soon be held in Jammu and Kashmir, and plans are underway to restore its statehood shortly. However, some parties have expressed that the Prime Minister should have provided a specific timeline to eliminate the ambiguity.

The Election Commission of India and the Center had already been instructed by the Supreme Court to hold the J&K assembly elections by September.

Imran Nabi Dar, spokesman for the National Conference, hailed PM Modi’s announcement of elections and the restoration of statehood but stated the exact dates remain unclear. “It is fortunate that the Prime Minister has understood that downgrading the state to UT has not been accepted by the people. PM Modi has yet to provide a precise date for elections and statehood restoration, despite the fact that they (the Centre) have stated from the start that both assembly elections and statehood restoration will take place.

The People’s Democratic Party called it PM Modi’s “jumla.” For the past five years, we have been hearing the same jumla. Elections and statehood under #Modi are equivalent to 15 lakh in everyone’s bank account, remarked Aditya Gupta, PDP youth vice-president.

According to Altaf Bukhari, the president of the Apni Party, the statement has given people in J&K optimism.

J&K

Prime Minister Modi’s announcement that preparations for the assembly elections have begun and that J&K will regain its statehood is highly significant. People have been eagerly awaiting the fulfillment of the promise to restore statehood to J&K and to exercise their democratic right to choose their representatives, Altaf Bukhari wrote on the social networking site X.

Former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s party welcomed Prime Minister Modi’s statement on elections and statehood in J&K. We applaud PM Modi’s remarks about holding elections and giving J&K its independence back. There is a clear desire for change based on the recent turnout for the Lok Sabha elections. The public has long expressed a desire and demand for this. Salman Nizami, DPAP main spokesperson, stated that the government must also assure peace and the smooth conduct of elections to meet voters’ expectations.

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Congress spokesman Sheikh Amir expressed skepticism, stating that they have been hearing these lofty claims for years. In J&K, the most recent assembly elections took place in 2014. If the Prime Minister is serious, they should be more practical. Additionally, in line with the Supreme Court’s directions, the Election Commission of India should issue election notifications for the assembly polls, he said.