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The all-party meeting — the first such exercise since the Centre announced the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and its bifurcation into union territories in August 2019 — is part of the Centre’s initiatives to bolster political processes, including holding Assembly elections, in the Union Territory, officials said on Friday.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, notified by the government on August 9, 2019, provides that the number of seats in the legislative assembly of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall be increased from 107 to 114, and delimitation of the constituencies will be determined by the Election Commission.
The central leadership has begun the process of inviting National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah, PDP chairperson Mehbooba Mufti, Altaf Bukhari of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP), and People’s Conference head Sajjad Lone for the discussion, the officials said.
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NC chief Farooq Abdullah, who is also president of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), said they have not received any formal invitation from New Delhi for talks so far. “As and when we receive any invitation, we will first sit and discuss the strategy for the meeting,” he…
Both Abdullah and Mehbooba had served as chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Asked about the prospect of talks with the Centre, CPM leader and spokesperson of the PAGD MY Tarigami said there has been no word from New Delhi, but added that if it happens, it would be welcomed.
“We have never closed our doors for meaningful engagement with the Centre. Though I have no information about any dialogue, if it happens, it will be welcomed,” Tarigami told PTI from Srinagar.
The PAGD is an alliance of some parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including the NC and the PDP, that was formed in the aftermath of the Centre’s August 2019 decisions.
With PTI inputs