Polls in J&K Likely In 6-8 Months Time: Amit Shah.

Union Home Minister, Amit Shah said on Monday that assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted within six to eight months after the delimitation exercise concludes.

“The delimitation exercise is about to get over. After this, whatever will be the reasonable timeframe – about six-eight months – the elections will be held. There should be no confusion about that,” Shah told in an interview with Network 18.

Early this month, the Delimitation Commission proposed an overhaul of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir in its draft report which was handed over to five associate members from the Union Territory.

According to the draft proposals, the Assembly seats in the Jammu division were increased from 37 to 43 and in Kashmir from 46 to 47. Almost all parties expressed strong resentment over the panel’s proposals and rejected it.

The Commission headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai with Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and state election commission K K Sharma was set up on March 6, 2020 and was granted an extension of a year on March 6, 2021, which will come to an end next month.

The Delimitation Commission held two meetings with the Associate Members on February 18 and December 20 last year. While the first meeting was boycotted by the three National Conference MPs, they attended the second meeting.

Responding to another question that Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan has recently said that the two countries should resolve their issues together, especially Kashmir, the Home Minister said that Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so

“I am very clear about this – Kashmir is an integral part of India. There is no point of discussion here. It is a part of India, this is the position taken by all governments in our Parliament. This is also the position of our country,” he said.