A day after he was nominated as an executive committee member of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress Committee (JKPCC), veteran politician and former Sadr-e-Rasayat of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Dr. Karan Singh on Friday demanded assembly elections in the Union Territory.
Interacting with media persons on the sidelines of the two-day national seminar on "General Zorawar Singh: Revisiting his Life, Legacy, and Legendary Conquests of the Himalayan Territories", the veteran Congress leader said that there was a need to install a popular government in Jammu and Kashmir to address grievances of the people.
Singh observed that the connection between the administration and the masses is missing in the Union Territory due to the absence of a popular government.
"In a democratic system like ours, Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are vital links between the administration and people", he argued and emphasized conducting elections to install a democratic government.
Pointing toward the political scenario in J&K, Karan Singh, who is the son of the last Dogra ruler of the erstwhile princely state Maharaja Hari Singh, said that this region has been without a popular government for the last nearly fifth year.
J&K without an elected government since June 2018
Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since June 2018 when BJP dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) followed by the resignation of the then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Five months later, on November 28, 2018, then Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the legislative assembly minutes after Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP staked a claim to form the government with the support of Congress and the National Conference.
A month later on December 19, 2018, then President Ram Nath Kovind issued a proclamation promulgating President's Rule in J&K under article 356 of the Constitution of India.
Eight months later on August 5, 2019, the BJP government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Karan Singh nominated as an executive committee member of the J&K Congress
On Thursday Dr. Karan Singh was nominated as an executive committee member of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress.
The much-awaited list of the new office bearer was released by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organization) K C Venugopal on Thursday
The new team of officebearers comprised 22 executive committee members, five senior vice presidents, 22 vice presidents, 51 general secretaries, and 62 secretaries.
According to an official hand issued by the party, the Congress President has approved the proposal for the constitution of the Executive Committee and the appointment of State Office bearers and presidents of various district Congress Committees of Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect.
Those who have been appointed as executive committee members namely Dr. Karan Singh, Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Tariq Hameed Karra, Tara Chand, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Dharampal Sharma, Neeraj Kundan, Ghulam Haider Sheikh, Krishan Chander Bhagat, Kanta Bhan, Mohammad Muzaffar Parray, Khemlata Wakhloo, Bashir Ahmed Magray, Girdhari Lal Chalotra, Ashok Bhan, Suman Bhata, Gubachan Kumari Raina, Amolak Singh, Pritam Singh, Zahida Khan and Mehraj Din Zagar.
Mula Ram, G.N.Monga, Th.Balwan Singh, Ravinder Sharma, and Mohd Anwar Bhat have been appointed as senior vice-president.
Presently Vikar Rasool Wani is president and former minister Raman Bhalla is the working president of the party and there is no other office bearer in the party.
On August 16, 2022, the Congress high-command had appointed Vikar Rasool Wani as the party's J&K chief.
