"Opposition remains silent on assembly elections in J-K": Ghulam Nabi Azad

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 14 : Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday criticized opposition parties for showing unity only when their own parties face specific problems but remaining silent on the issue of conducting elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

"They (the opposition) remained silent for the last six years on the issue of conducting elections in J-K. They talk about unity only when their parties face any problem. Why they didn't say anything? Jammu and Kashmir which was a significant state before the abrogation of Article 370, was made a Union Territory and the other parties even voted in support of the Bharatiya Janata Parties," Azad said on Wednesday.

He further expressed concern that due to the absence of an assembly in the Union Territory, people living far away in Jammu and Kashmir lack representation on the national level. Elected representatives play a crucial role in representing the people of their respective regions, but this impossible without an assembly in the Union Territory.

"Because of the non-existence of assembly in the Union Territory, no one is able to reach out to the people who live far away be it in Kashmir valley or Jammu. Elected people represent the people of their region," he added.

Azad also said that this is the first time in his political carrier that elections are not being conducted in the region.

"It's beyond my experience and understanding," he said.

Article 370 was abrogated in 2019 and J-K was turned into a Union Territory and Ladakh separated from it forming another Union Territory.

Assembly Elections were last held in J-K in November-December 2014 and the People's Democratic Party (PDP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government formed government in March 2015. The PDP secured 28 seats and the BJP got 25 seats out of the 87 seats.

However, Azad, the former Congress leader credited the leadership of the Congress in various states for the party's recent electoral triumphs.

"I have said the Congress has suffered losses at the Centre, not in the states. Wherever there is a strong state leadership, the party is bouncing back," he added.