Prime Minister Narendra Modi met senior leaders from Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, the first such meeting since the bifurcation of the state into two union territories and scrapping of Article 370 that granted the erstwhile state a special status.
Leaders of eight political parties from J&K, several of whom were detained for months since the bifurcation of the state in August 2019 drove down the Modi’s 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence for the free-wheeling discussions where Home Minister Amit Shah and J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha were also present.
According to leaders from J&K, there was no agenda for the meeting which is widely expected to focus on the delimitation of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies and a possible call for elections in the union territory.
Among the 14 leaders invited for the meeting are four former chief ministers – Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad, leaders of BJP, Congress, CPI(M), J&K Panthers Party among others.
“We are going to raise the issue of restoration of statehood,” Ghulam Ahmed Mir, J&K Congress President said ahead of the meeting.
People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a group of six political parties including the National Conference, PDP, CPI(M), Awami National Conference, CPI and J&K People's Movement had met on Tuesday to discuss their stand on the Centre's invite.
Alliance leaders said they would insist on the restoration of the status of Jammu and Kashmir back to what it was prior to August 2019.
The buzz in the political circles was that the government was keen on re-starting the political process in the union territory and subsequently call for elections.
The Union Territory of J&K has a legislative Assembly and can elect MLAs and have a chief minister, while the union territory of Ladakh will continue to be run by a Lt Governor and an Administrator.
In December last year, PAGD had won 100 seats in the local body elections in J&K while the BJP won 74 seats.
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