Says elections in UT soon; Hails JK Police for working professionally
Owais Gul
Srinagar, Nov 14 (KNO): Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu on Thursday said election for the assembly of the Union Territory will be held soon.
“Union Territory of J&K has an assembly for which the election will be held soon,’’ Murmu said at the passing out parade of police at Talwara, Reasi in Jammu region. “ The process to hold the election has already begun.”
According to wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the LG said he was hopeful that like Lok Sabha polls, people will also participate in the assembly polls. “You (police) will have an important role to play in upcoming elections,” he said. This was the first public speech made by Murmu after assuming office as the first Lieutenant Governor on Jammu and Kashmir on October 31.
In a historic decision, the BJP government at Centre revoked Article 370 on August 5 and split Jammu and Kashmir into two UTs of J&K and Ladakh.
Unlike Ladakh, UT of J&K can elect a legislative assembly and a chief minister with the total strength of minister not exceeding the 10 per cent of the total strength of the assembly.
The Centre is grappling with the issue of filling the political vacuum after the move on Article 370. Most of the important political leaders of Kashmir like Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been detained since August 5.
The Centre is in contact with leaders like Altaf Bukhari, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh of the PDP, Usman Majeed of the Congress and others. The three leaders were recently invited on lunch hosted in honour a Members of European Parliament (MEPs) who visited Kashmir on October 29. The MEPs met several groups of people with little standing in public
As per KNO, around 50 other leaders from different political parties have also been detained at Centaur Hotel which has been declared as a sub jail. Efforts by the BJP to fill the political vacuum to date have so not met with success.
The LG while showering praises on the Jammu and Kashmir police said that the police has been working in difficult conditions and meeting the challenges in a very professional manner. “In the upcoming elections, the JK Police has a pivotal role to play,” he said.
