J&K’s statehood restoration on cards during Parliament Monsoon Session? Speculations rife

Ziraat Times Team Report

Srinagar: There is growing anticipation that Jammu & Kashmir may see the restoration of its statehood as early as the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament, with sources indicating the move could take shape between August 1 and August 9.

Three top National Conference leaders, who spoke to Ziraat Times on the condition of anonymity, confided that they have received feelers that statehood restoration is indeed on cards. They also expressed concern that the development may coincide announcement of fresh Assembly elections, although National Conference leader and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah this week said they were ready to face fresh elections in the statehood was restored. People’s Democratic Party took a different stance, criticising the notion of tying statehood restoration with fresh Assembly elections.

This development, political observers believe, if it materializes, would mark a major political shift nearly five years after the former state was stripped of its special status under Article 370 and bifurcated into two Union Territories—Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh—on August 5, 2019.

Veteran journalist and political analyst Ahmed Ali Fayyaz has claimed that well-placed political sources have confirmed the possibility of full restoration of statehood during the upcoming session. “There’s no question of holding fresh Assembly elections before the restoration of statehood,” Fayyaz noted on Wednesday.

While there has been no official confirmation from the Government of India, the statement aligns with several recent developments that suggest the Union Government is preparing for a legislative push. The Election Commission of India has already completed the delimitation exercise and revised electoral rolls in Jammu & Kashmir, while the Supreme Court had, in its December 2023 verdict, asked for elections to be held in the UT before September 30, 2024.

Political observers believe that restoring statehood before elections would be a strategic and symbolic gesture — both to address popular demand and to signal a return to political normalcy in the region. Opposition parties in Kashmir and Jammu have consistently pressed for statehood restoration as a prerequisite for meaningful electoral participation.

In public forums, Union ministers have reiterated the Centre’s commitment to restoring statehood “at an appropriate time.” However, until now, no firm timeline had been mentioned.

The monsoon session, likely to begin in the last week of July, is expected to feature significant legislative business. If the Centre introduces a bill for statehood restoration, it will be a landmark moment and could pave the way for Assembly elections later in 2024 under a restored state structure.

As of now, no official communication has been made by the Ministry of Home Affairs. However, political analysts and civil society stakeholders in the region are watching developments closely, as statehood remains one of the most pressing political demands in Jammu & Kashmir today.