New Delhi, Dec 12, 2023
An exclusive survey conducted by CVoter soon after the Supreme Court upheld the abrogation of Article 370 as valid reveals that a big majority of the respondents are of the opinion that leaders like Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti do not have a political future in Jammu & Kashmir.
This view is shared not just by respondents living in other states, but also those staying in Jammu & Kashmir.
On this issue, even respondents living in the Kashmir Valley agree with other Indians.
Overall, three out of every five respondents think leaders like Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have no political future.
Within Jammu & Kashmir, two-third of the respondents in the Jammu region feel the same, while more than 50 per cent respondents living in the Kashmir Valley share the same view.
The Abdullah and Mufti families have dominated the politics of Jammu & Kashmir for decades, with the Congress and BJP joining as alliance partners on some occasions.
The Supreme Court verdict upholding the abrogation also directs the government to ensure Assembly elections are held in Jammu & Kashmir by September 2024.
Since 1952, Article 370 and Article 35 were operational in Jammu & Kashmir, giving the state a unique and special identity along with substantive powers to choose which laws passed by the Indian Parliament would be implemented in the state.
On August 5, 2019, soon after winning a massive mandate in the Lok Sabha elections, the current regime passed a Bill in both the Houses of the Parliament abrogating Article 370.
More than 20 petitions challenging the decision were filed in the Supreme Court, which clubbed them together.
On Monday, a five-judge bench passed a unanimous verdict upholding the abrogation of Article 370.(Agency)
