SRI NAGAR: Election in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in October and the Centre will take a call on the delimitation of Assembly constituencies, senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said.
“The BJP’s core group of Jammu and Kashmir, which met in Delhi on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, discussed the elections,” he said, adding that the leaders decided that the elections would be held in October. “We are ready to contest in all three regions of the state, We will contest all the 87 seats.”
The J&K Assembly has 87 seats — 46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu and 4 in Ladakh. The state is under President’s rule since June last year.
Gupta asserted that Article 35A was not discussed in the BJP’s core group meeting, and added that the central government would take a call on it. The core group meeting discussed the delimitation of Assembly constituencies, he said.
“We apprised the central leaders about our opinion and it is up to the central government how it moves on this process.”
Asked when the delimitation process would take place, Gupta said, “Whatever happens, will happen within the system. No decision outside the system will be taken”.
On prevailing uncertainty over rumours that Article 35A would be abrogated, Gupta claimed, “They (Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti) are creating fear among the people by spreading rumours on Article 35A.”
He alleged that both the leaders know they know they will be caught. “Both know they have down wrongs including frauds in J&K Bank.”