Page 8 - Jammu And Kashmir Politics

J&K poll: 'Our priority is to restore statehood,' says Mallikarjun Kharge

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge stated on Saturday that the priority of Congress is to restore statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, adding that the State has never been changed to Union Territory before."The state has never been changed to Union Territory. We are asking, why have you not given statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, you have all the power, then why are they doing it?" congress president Kharge asked BJP, while addressing a press conference in Jammu."...We have declared seven guarantees. Our priority is to restore statehood to J & K. The second guarantee is to provide a health insurance scheme that will provide coverage of Rs 25 lakh to every family in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.Further describing Congress Party's promises for Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "A monthly benefit of Rs 3,000 will be given to women heads of families. An interest-free loan of Rs 5 lakh will also be given to women...OBCs to get their rights as enshrined in the Constitution... 1 lakh ..

J-K was shut for 3,000 days, 40,000 killed under Congress-NC-PDP: Amit Shah

Jammu Kashmir elections: Home Minister Amit Shah alleges Congress, NC, and PDP were responsible for spread of terror in Jammu-Kashmir, claiming that under their governance the region was in darkness

61.38% polling in J&K phase 1 polls, men outnumber women in casting votes

The first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir polls saw men outnumbering women in casting votes by over 4.79 percentage points, the Election Commission said on Friday while issuing revised figures with voter turnout rising to 61.38 per cent from 61.11 per cent earlier. The first phase of polling was held in 24 assembly constituencies spread across Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian in south Kashmir and Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts in the Chenab valley area of the Jammu region on September 18. According to Election Commission data, more male voters cast their votes in 18 seats while women voters outnumbered men in the rest of the six assembly segments. A total of 23,27,543 lakh people were eligible to vote in the first phase. Of them, 11,76,441 men, 11,51,042 women and 60 transgenders exercised their franchise. Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir are taking place for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union ...

'For some votes, Congress ready to compromise with culture': PM Modi in J-K

Jammu-Kashmir elections: Prime Minister Modi criticised Congress at a rally in Katra, claiming they compromise culture for votes. He also attacked Rahul Gandhi for his recent US visit

J-K youth becoming empowered under Modi government: PM in Srinagar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the youth of Jammu and Kashmir have found confidence in democracy again and are feeling that their vote can bring change, which is the first step towards their empowerment. Addressing an election rally in support of BJP candidates at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium here, Modi said the BJP will fulfil its promise of restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. "The youth of my Jammu and Kashmir is no more helpless. He is becoming empowered under the Modi government. I am happy that the J-K BJP has also made huge announcements for the employment of youth. Be it their skill development or providing jobs without manipulation, the BJP will do all these," he said. Attacking the Congress, National Conference, and PDP, Modi said these three parties and families have "trampled" democracy and 'Kashmiryat' for their own benefits. "Do you remember what they did in the 1980s? They treated Jammu and Kashmir's politics as their own fiefdom. They did not w

Cong accuses centre of infringing on J-K political executive's power

The Congress on Thursday attacked the BJP as Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed to Jammu and Kashmir, and accused the NDA government of attempting to infringe on the political executive's powers in the union territory. With the PM heading to Srinagar and Katra for rallies, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh posed three questions to him. Why is the Union Government "attempting to infringe" on the J-K political executive's powers, he asked. In July 2024, the Home Ministry amended the rules under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, giving powers to make decisions on crucial matters such as police and all-India services officers and granting sanctions for prosecution in various cases solely to the Union Government appointed Lieutenant Governor (LG), Ramesh pointed out. "By curtailing the J&K political executive's policing and administrative powers, the Home Ministry has severely compromised the functioning of the future J&K Government," .

J-K elections: 27% poll turnout; Kashmiri pandits vote from migrant camps

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections recorded a 26.72% voter turnout by 11 am, with the Inderwal constituency leading the chart. The elections are the first since Article 370 was abrogated in 2019

J-K polls update: First since Article 370 revoked; voting in Pulwama, Doda

Jammu-Kashmir Assembly elections began on Wednesday after 10 years, marking the first polls since the abrogation of Article 370. The first phase includes 24 constituencies, across seven districts

Amit Shah urges people of J-K to vote against separatism, joblessness

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to vote in large numbers to form a government which is committed to education of the youth, employment, empowerment of women and ending separatism. Shah also said that only a government with a strong will can create a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir, protect the rights of the citizens there, and speed up development work. "Today, my appeal to the voters going to exercise their franchise in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections is to vote in large numbers to form a government which is committed to education of the youth, employment, empowerment of women and ending separatism and nepotism in the region," the BJP leader wrote on X in Hindi. The home minister also asked people to go for vote before having the breakfast by saying 'Pehle matdan phir jalpan'. Voting began for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019,

J&K polls Phase II: 21% candidates face criminal cases, over 50% crorepatis

A notable 21 per cent of the candidates are facing criminal cases, with 16 per cent involved in serious charges like attempted murder and crimes against women

Mosque sermons in Kashmir start addressing politics after long pause

Mosque sermons in Kashmir, for decades, have maintained a calculated distance from political topics. But that might be changing now, writes KALEEM GEELANI

Engineer Rashid's AIP, ex-JEI members join hands for J&K Assembly polls

In a significant political development, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) headed by Lok Sabha member Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer and former members of Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) have come together in a strategic alliance for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls. "A joint meeting was held today in which the AIP delegation was led by AIP Supremo and chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, while the JEI delegation was led by Ghulam Qadir Wani. Prominent JEI members participated in the discussions," the AIP said in a statement. Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir was banned by the Union Home Ministry in 2019. The ban was extended for another five years in February this year. Several influential leaders of Jamaat are contesting assembly polls as independent candidates. An AIP spokesperson said the two sides agreed to work together in the larger interest of the region's population. The goal is to secure a resounding victory for AIP and JEI candidates, ensuring that the people of Jammu and Kashmir .

Cong to release its J&K poll manifesto within two days: Bharat Solanki

The Congress would release its manifesto for Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections within two days, senior leader Bharat Singh Solanki said on Sunday while terming the BJP's poll promises "hollow". Exuding confidence that the Congress-National Conference alliance would come to power in Jammu and Kashmir, he hit out at the BJP, saying it failed to wipe out terrorism, ensure the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri pandits and generate employment for the local youth. The Congress' Jammu and Kashmir affairs in charge said a common minimum programme (CMP) would be chalked out by the coalition partners after government formation to ensure peace, prosperity and development in the region. "The (Congress) manifesto is ready and will be announced within two days before the first phase of elections. Our manifesto will not be based on 'jumlas', and we will ensure its implementation," Solanki told reporters here. Jammu and Kashmir goes to polls in three phases -- September 18, September 25 and

Farooq Abdullah hits back at PM, says misleading people against alliance

Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "misleading" the nation by claiming that terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir will rise again if the National Conference-Congress alliance came to power in the Union territory. "I want to ask the PM that their government has been ruling for the past five years since the abrogation of Article 370. They used to say that Article 370 is responsible for terrorism here but today there is no Article 370. Where did this terrorism come from?" the NC leader said. "Where are these guns coming from which are killing civilians and martyring the soldiers. Today, it is not our government. Let him answer this," Abdullah told reporters while campaigning for party candidate Omar Abdullah in Ganderbal assembly segment. His remarks came a day after PM Modi cautioned the people against bringing the NC, Congress and the PDP back to power, alleging their policies had prepared the ground for terrorism, stifled young leadership

Focus on deteriorating security condition in J&K: Omar to PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi should focus on the "deteriorating" security situation in Jammu and Kashmir instead of raising the bogey of dynastic politics, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said on Saturday. Addressing an election rally in the Doda district in support of BJP candidates earlier in the day, Modi said political dynasties in Jammu and Kashmir have destroyed the region and not allowed new leadership to grow. Hitting back at Modi, the NC leader said the BJP has no qualms in forming alliances with these parties and questioned the prime minister's silence over the death of two army soldiers in an encounter in Kishtawar. "The PM made a speech in Doda... It has not been 24 hours since the attack (in Kishtwar) in which two brave army soldiers lost their lives while an encounter is going on in north Kashmir "He talks about dynasties to mislead people. He should have talked about the present situation," Abdullah told reporters in south Kashmir's Kulgam district.

J-K Assembly polls: Nominations of 37 candidates for third phase rejected

Nominations of 37 candidates were rejected during Friday's scrutiny of papers of hopefuls from 40 constituencies that will go to the polls in the last phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, officials said. The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is September 16. These seats will go to the polls on October 1. The nomination papers of candidates from 40 assembly constituencies going to the polls in the third and final phase were scrutinised in the offices of the respective returning officers of the seven districts. During the scrutiny, the candidatures of 449 were found valid, the officials said. There are 113 candidates in Jammu district, 107 in Baramulla, 75 in Kupwara, 46 in Bandipora, 38 in Kathua, 38 in Udhampur and 32 in Samba. According to the election notification, the candidates can withdraw their nominations from the offices of the respective returning officers by September 16. The three-phase elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly wil

'I might be from the Mufti family but will have to earn my respect here'

"People now understand that their vote is going to be important; it's only politicians and parties who Are going to solve their problems," Iltija Mufti, PDP candidate in J&K Assembly elections

J&K polls: PDP can counter BJP's threat to state's identity, says Mufti

Jammu and Kashmir is set to hold its first assembly elections in ten years, with voting scheduled in three phases across 90 constituencies on September 18, 25, and October 1

Upcoming assembly polls first in 'secular J-K', says Sudhanshu Trivedi

The upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are historic as they are the first since the region "became secular", BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said on Thursday. He emphasised that these elections represented a choice between nationalist and anti-national forces. "In these assembly elections, people must choose between those promising peace and development and those promising death and destruction," Trivedi told reporters. After the 42nd amendment to the Indian Constitution, Jammu and Kashmir adopted a six-year term for its assembly but did not explicitly include the word 'secular' in its constitution, he alleged. "At that time, Jammu and Kashmir had its own constitution. After the abrogation of Article 370, there is now a unified Constitution," he said. He also claimed these were the first elections in Jammu and Kashmir after Other Backward Classes (OBCs) received reservation. Trivedi said, "These elections are significant as they are the first after Jammu

Terror funding accused Kashmir MP Rashid Engineer gets bail: Who is he?

Lok Sabha MP Rashid Engineer reached Srinagar on Thursday after getting an interim bail. In his first comments, he vowed to fight for justice while targeting the BJP over the abrogation of Article 370