Ishtiyaq Ahmed
Srinagar, June 20: As the Prime Minister Narendera Modi advocates for one nation, one election, the idea has stirred a serious political debate across Jammu and Kashmir with the major regional party—the National Conference stating that the term of State Legislative Assembly can only be reduced from six to five years when a constitutional amendment is introduced and passed with a majority.
The BJP, however, asserts that the basic aim of the move was to cut down election expenses by holding polls across the country in one go and that it had nothing to do with special status of J&K.
Political experts see the PM Modi’s idea as another attempt to erode the Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy and the special status that has bore the brunt since 1975-Indhira-Abullah accord followed the successive regimes of Congress at the Centre that tore apart the autonomous character of the State confining it to article 370 and article 35 A. “If the one nation, one election becomes a reality, the term of J&K Assembly will be reduced to five years from six years. J&K is the only state where the term of Assembly is six years while as rest of the country have all assemblies in the States with five year term,” a senior political analyst told Kashmir Indepth. He presuming that J&K follows the “one nation, one election”, “what if PM Modi floats another idea like one nation, one flag.”
“What will state do in that case?,” he asked. “The fact is the government led by PM Modi at Centre have clear intentions to integrate J&K state fully into the union of India.
First they have started with the idea of one nation, one election that will bring J&K Assembly at par with the rest of Indian states, then the Centre may advocate one nation, one flag and in that case, State will loose its identity of having a separate flag that remembers one about the special status of J&K has been enjoying since past several decades.”
The PM Modi had convened an All Party Meeting in New Delhi on June 19 to deliberate on the issue and it is believed that out of 40 parties invited a close to 30, who participated in the meeting backed PM Modi’s idea of one nation, one election.
NC patron and the newly elected Member Parliament Dr Farooq Abdullah told the APM that the “idea should be examined and that it should not affect the federal structure.” Farooq’s guarded response somehow suggest that he and his party was not totally averse to PM’s idea of one nation, one election as he didn’t right away oppose the very idea and instead suggested to examine it.
Talking to Kashmir Indepth, NC General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar said that the idea of one nation, one election can only be a reality in J&K if a constitutional amendment is brought to the State Legislature and the same is passed with the majority. “Reducing the term of Assembly from six to five years is possible only when State Assembly passes the amendment to the Constitution,” he said.
Sources in National Conference said that it was the constituent Assembly of 1954 in J&K, which unanimously fixed the term of State assembly for six years. “Since constituent assembly is not in place, the sole prerogative lies with the State Legislature. What remains to be seen is whether some presidential order may come all the way from New Delhi since J&K at present is under president’s rule,” sources said. “NC is keenly watching the developments.”
A Congress leader told Kashmir Indepth that the party will first study the possibility of reducing the terming of State Assembly and then react. “We will discuss the issue first,” he said.
BJPs state spokesman Altaf Thakur said that the only purpose was to hold polls in one one as it would held reduce election expenses and bring at par all the states.
“What has it to do with the special status,” he asked. Asked whether next step of the party could be one nation, one flag, he said: “That has been the partys agenda since begining—Eik Vidhan, Eik Pradhan, Eik Nishan.”
