Former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that it is a test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir in the state in time.
Former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that it is a test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir in the state in time.
“As far as National Conference is concerned, we have been saying elections shouldn’t be postponed. On the Supreme Court guidelines, elections should be held within six months. Now, I think it is a test for Modi Sahab. Has the situation in Jammu and Kashmir deteriorated to such an extent that elections can’t be held on time? Modi sahab has to decide this,” he told reporters during his visit to South Kashmir’s on Tuesday. “Either the Modi Sahab has deteriorated the situation in the state that elections can’t be held on time…we are ready for elections.”
He said that the scheduled visit of Election Commission of India (ECI) officials to the state was deferred due to the upcoming visit of PM Modi. “As far we know, they (ECI) were forced to postpone their visit to the state because PM is coming here. PM is visiting Jammu, Srinagar and Ladakh, which is the reason why ECI visit postponed their visit,” he said.
A team from Election commission of India (ECI) was scheduled to visit the state and hold deliberations with the political parties in the state and accordingly take a decision regarding holding the assembly elections in the state. The visit has been postponed.
Omar said the National conference is ready for the polls in the state, and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) want that elections should be deferred. “BJP and PDP both are going to centre and are trying to postpone the assembly polls,” he said.
The PDP and NC leaders have started visiting the South Kashmir areas, soon after the Panchayat and Municipal were conducted in the state.