Srinagar, Apni Party Chairman Altaf Bukhari on Saturday appealed to New Delhi to hold Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that the people of J&K would get everything from their elected Assembly as it has a pivotal role in safeguarding the interests of the people.
“People of J&K will not get any benefit from the Parliament. If we will get anything that is through an elected Assembly. The Assembly elections in J&K will be icing on the cake as the situation is very normal,” Bukahri told reporters in Srinagar.
“I appeal to New Delhi to hold Lok Sabha & Assembly elections simultaneously in Jammu and Kashmir.”
The Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir was held last time in 2014 in which PDP emerged as the largest political party and forged an alliance with BJP. The coalition government collapsed in 2018 after BJP pulled out from it. Since then there is no elected Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir .
The Kashmiri mainstream political parties have been accusing the Election Commission and the BJP of delaying assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
On reports of separatists joining his party, Bukahri, who was Finance Minister in the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP government, said that the Apni Party’s doors are open for those who believe that J&K is a part of India and believes in the Constitution of the country.
“Those joining our party should not be involved in any killing or violence. When anyone joins, we don’t see whether they are associated with Hurriyat, National Conference, BJP or PDP. Our party is open for all the residents of J&K as this is their party and I welcome all into the party fold,” the Apni Party Chairman said.
Recently a separatist leader Bashir Ahmad Wani has joined the Apni Party.