Srinagar, Feb 10: Altaf Bukhari, the chairman of the Apni Party, urged New Delhi on Saturday to schedule the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and Lok Sabha elections concurrently. He asserted that as the elected Assembly plays a crucial role in defending the interests of the people, the people of J&K would receive everything from it. “The Parliament will not assist the people of J&K in any way. If anything comes through an elected Assembly, it will be this. Bukahri told reporters in Srinagar, “The Assembly elections in J&K will be icing on the cake as the situation is very normal.”“I request that Jammu and Kashmir hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and Assembly in New Delhi.” The last time Jammu and Kashmir held an Assembly election was in 2014, when PDP emerged as the biggest political party and partnered with BJP. 2018 saw the fall of the coalition government following the BJP’s withdrawal. Since then, Jammu and Kashmir has not had an elected assembly. Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections are allegedly being postponed by the BJP and the Election Commission, according to mainstream political parties in Kashmir. Bukahri, the Finance Minister in the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP administration, responded to news of separatists joining his party by saying that the Apni Party welcomes everyone who thinks that J&K is a part of India and respects the nation’s Constitution. “Those who join our party ought not to engage in violence or murder. We are unable to determine a new member’s affiliation with the Hurriyat, National Conference, BJP, or PDP. The Apni Party Chairman declared, “Our party is open to all the residents of J&K as this is their party and I welcome all into the party fold.” Separatist leader Bashir Ahmad Wani just became a member of the Apni Party.
