India revokes presidential rule in Kashmir to pave way for local government

By Anadolu staff

India Monday revoked direct rule in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the formation of a new elected government in the region.

According to a notification signed by President Droupadi Murmu, the order dated Oct. 31, 2019 in relation to the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall stand revoked immediately before the appointment of the chief minister of the Jammu and Kashmir.

An alliance between Jammu and Kashmir’s oldest political party and India’s Congress last week won majority of seats in elections that concluded on Oct. 1, paving way for restoration of an elected representative government in the Indian-administered Kashmir for the first time in six years.

From 2018 to Aug. 5, 2019, New Delhi ruled the region directly through a governor who wielded as much authority as an elected government.

It was then made a federally ruled territory and has since been under a lieutenant governor.

In last week’s election result, the National Conference-Congress alliance, which won 48 seats in the 90-seat local assembly, were set to form the first elected government in the disputed Muslim-majority region in six years. While National Conference emerged as the single-largest party with 42 seats, Congress won six.

The vote will lead to a limited transition of power from New Delhi to the local assembly, as Jammu and Kashmir will remain a union territory under direct federal control and the Indian parliament will be its top legislature.

India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which considers the abrogation of autonomy as one of its crowning achievements, won 29 seats in the Hindu-majority districts of the Jammu province, failing even to open an account in the Kashmir province.​​​​​​​