Shah likely to visit J&K on October 15

Amid the prospects of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir early next year, the union home minister Amit Shah is likely to visit the union territory on October 15. In his third visit to Jammu and Kashmir in the past one year, the union home minister besides inaugurating key developmental projects, will be giving a head start to the political activities of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by addressing public rallies, both in Kashmir and Jammu, during his two-day visit.

The rallies will be in addition to the official itinerary of the Home Minister which will include a security review of Jammu and Kashmir. Shah is likely to throw open a portion of Jammu-Akhnoor four-lane project for traffic which is almost complete besides parts of Jammu Ring Road which too are in final stages of completion.

The work on 4.6 KM of package 2 of Jammu-Akhnoor Road widening Project from Canal Head to Ganesh Vihar has been completed and also the flyover is in its final stage.

In March, the union home minister had visited Jammu to attend the 83rd CRPF Raising Day function. Before that, he undertook a four-day visit in October last year, which was his first here after the abrogation of Article 370. During his visit last year, Shah had said he will talk to the people of Kashmir instead of talking to Pakistan.
As per sources, Shah will stay for a day each in Kashmir and Jammu. He will also hold meetings with Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, top officials and state BJP leaders. He will review the security and developmental situation in the UT, and also discuss with local leaders the preparations for the first Assembly elections in J&K.
Sources further shared, the J&K unit of BJP has proposed three rallies in areas having significant presence of Paharis including Rajouri and Doda in Jammu region and Baramulla in Kashmir division during two days tour in which a very important announcement about the Paharis is likely to be made.

All three venues for Shah’s proposed rallies are significant as they cover vast areas dominated by the Paharis.
The BJP leaders now feel that a time has come for formal announcement though the ST status to Paharis can be granted only by the Parliament by adopting a legislation or through an Ordinance which will require the Parliament nod later. The Home Minister is likely to spend one day each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions during the visit.

Earlier, the speculations were rife that Assembly elections in the union territory might be conducted in November-December after completion of delimitation of Assembly constituencies in the Jammu and Kashmir in May. However, the Special Summary Revision ordered by the Election Commission of India has fixed November 25 as the deadline for publication of final electoral rolls. This will virtually give no time for holding polls this year and all hopes are now pinned in the months of April-May next year for the conduct of elections.