JAMMU, Feb 9: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will shortly meet all 28 MLAs of the BJP from Jammu and Kashmir either during a visit to the Jammu region or will call them to New Delhi if the visit doesn’t mature to draw up party’s political strategy in the Union Territory, ensuring fulfillment of party agenda and development in both the divisions.Shah is reported to have given this assurance to Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma, BJP MLA from Paddar, who called on the Home Minister in New Delhi this evening.
Shah could either undertake a visit to the Jammu region or will call all 28 party MLAs to New Delhi to draw roadmap for Jammu and Kashmir on strengthening the party, carrying forward its agenda and ensuring development in the entire UT especially through ongoing Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs).
BJP won 29 seats in the UT in September-October 2024 Assembly elections but one of its stalwart and MLA Nagrota Devender Singh Rana passed away. The BJP now has 28 MLAs. In its election manifesto as well as through poll rallies, the BJP had made number of promises with the people but it fell short of majority.
The BJP Central leadership would like to ensure that the Jammu region which gave the party all 29 seats of a total of 43 doesn’t suffer as the party was unable to get power by falling well short of majority.
Shah is understood to have asked Sunil Sharma, the BJP Legislature Party leader to ensure that there is no violation of the Constitution in upcoming budget session of the Legislature beginning March 3. This will be first budget session of J&K as the UT in which Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds charge of the Finance Department, will present the budget for 2025-26.
“The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir has now ceased to exist and J&K is now under the Indian Constitution following abrogation of special status of erstwhile State on August 5, 2019,” the sources pointed out and said the House will run as per Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019 and the rules being framed as per the Act by a Business Rules Committee of the House headed by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather as ex-officio chairman.
The Home Minister is reported to have assured the Leader of Opposition in Jammu and Kashmir that the Government is coming out with a strong policy to curb menace of drugs in the UT as the drugs are also being used for financing terrorism.
On surge in crime including incidents of firing and thefts in Jammu, Shah told Sunil Sharma that he held comprehensive review of security situation in Jammu and Kashmir recently and will hold another round of review to ensure that peace in the region is not disturbed at any cost. He said clear cut directions have been issued to the police to ensure that law and order is maintained at any cost.
The Home Minister said the Village Defence Guards (VDGs) will be further strengthened and will be given sophisticated arms and ammunition to counter the terrorist.
Sharma raised the issue of brutal assault on an ex-serviceman’s family in Kulgam and urged the Home Minister to ensure rehabilitation and education for the victim’s family.By-elections to two Assembly seats of Jammu and Kashmir are also due and could be held in the months of March and April. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah quit Budgam seat while retaining Ganderbal while Nagrota Assembly seat in Jammu region fell vacant due to the death of Devender Singh Rana.
Besides, five MLAs including two women, two Kashmiri Pandits, one of them a woman, and one Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) refugee are yet to be nominated to the Assembly. The MLAs are to be nominated by the Lieutenant Governor.
All four Rajya Sabha seats of Jammu and Kashmir are also vacant since February 2021 and elections to them are also expected to be held anytime.
