New CM of J&K will have same powers as any other state: Jitendra

Jammu: Putting to rest all speculations about the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, Union minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office Dr Jitendra Singh said that the new CM of the current union territory (UT) will have the same powers as any other CM in India.
Dr Singh’s clarification comes amid apprehensions that the Centre has increased the power of JK LG because it wants a Delhi-like arrangement for JK — UT with a legislature. Dr Singh said that PM Narendra Modi at his rally in Doda on Saturday explained the party’s stance on the question of statehood and the opposition was spreading canards for political gains.
The Uddhampur MP said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was confident of emerging as the single largest party. He said the opposition was smelling defeat and so was spreading rumours about a pact between the BJP and Jamat-backed Independents.
Earlier, the elections meant a curfew-like situation…a hartal call would be given. Very few people would go out and vote. In the 1950s and 60s, returning officers would reject all nomination powers and declare the ruling party candidate as elected. This time, democracy is also getting truly ushered in. This will be the first election in 10 years. Voters and candidates both are excited.
What the PM said in Doda and also in Bakshi stadium, Srinagar six months ago…Home Minister Amit Shah has said on the floor of Parliament that statehood will be restored. The opposition is deploying the old trick of demanding something that will happen in ordinary course, so that later they can claim that we put pressure so it happened. What they don’t realise is that voters see through these tricks.
Of course, why not. Functionally, the new CM will be more like the other CMs. Now that Article 370 is gone, the urge and pressure to look different is also gone.
Article 370 is no longer an issue. Conduct a survey not just in Jammu but even in Srinagar, even in the Valley no one wants 370. They might be scared to say so, but that is the feeling. Article 370 was a barrier for opportunities, central government funds. Local bodies, panch and sarpanches were not getting the funds that they were entitled to under the 73rd and 74th amendment under panchayat Raj. It was brought by the Rajiv Gandhi government, but the same party didn’t implement it in J&K.
Not giving daughters the right over property of their parents if they married outside the state was great unfairness. It was because they wanted to grab their properties…Who wants 370? It is only they… the coterie which was the biggest beneficiary.
J&K is seeing a resurgence of democratic aspirations because we didn’t have elections for 10 years. Before that, elections for local bodies were not happening, so I think people are happy over the return of the democratic processes.
Around 2.5 crore tourists have gone from the Kashmir valley. If terrorism was not on the decline, these people would not risk their lives and leave. Because in the valley, the militants are facing the heat. They are rushing towards Jammu Division.
But this too is a passing phase. Militancy is on its last leg in J&K. If voters and general public were fearful of the latest terror attacks in Jammu division, then the two new five-star hotels would not get started in Bhadrwah. The tourist inflow this year is recordbreaking – 5-6 lakh tourists in May. The evidence is not from a government spokesperson but on ground. It is showing that people are reassured.
Jamat is not fighting the elections, but some independents might have their support. To call them “BJP proxies" shows the fear of loss among political opponents.
The BJP will emerge as the single largest party. As far as alliance is concerned, we won’t compromise on ideology. We never did. In fact, the BJP walked out of the alliance with PDP, it wasn’t the other way around.Not at all…the BJP is a party of karyakartas. Assigned work is what you look at. We are not like the Congress where closeness to neta, neta’s son is the ticket to success. In the BJP, everyone is working towards a common goal and that is the only focus.