NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
The ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir is planning to come up with an autonomy resolution again.
Its autonomy resolution in 2000, demanding the restoration of the state's pre-1953 status, which leaves only defense, external affairs and communications with the Centre, had been rejected by the A B Vajpayee government.
But with assembly elections around the corner, the National Conference plans to convene a special assembly session in July to pass a full-fledged autonomy bill in the house. The move is aimed at silencing its critics who have accused the ruling party of being `non-serious' about the autonomy issue.
The party had contested the previous elections on the 'autonomy' plank. "Autonomy has been and will be our major issue in the elections," said a senior National Conference leader.
The NC top brass is busy formulating a strategy for the elections, party sources said. The autonomy issue will be back in focus once federal minister Omar Abdullah takes over as party chief on June 12, they added.
"We will corner the Center in such a way that it will be very difficult for it to say no. If it refuses again it will stand exposed. This will definitely help us in convincing the electorate," said a senior ruling party leader.
A debate on the issue is already raging within NC circles and legal experts are bring consulted on the matter. Some NC leaders are of the opinion that passing the autonomy bill in the assembly will turn it into a law and hence it can be sent direct to the President for approval.
The idea to bypass Parliament, thus, stems from the fact that despite being passed by both the upper and lower house of the state legislature in 2000, the Union Cabinet had summarily rejected the earlier autonomy resolution.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, during his recent visit to the state, told mediapersons that the resolution was rejected by the Union Cabinet after weighing its pros and cons.
It was a comment the National Conference took strong exception to, and argued that autonomy is the panacea for the state's ills.
For the National Conference, autonomy is the weapon of ultimate resort, as confronting the Centre on the issue will, according to its calculations, tilt the voters towards it.
RELATED REPORTS BJP, Cong against J&K autonomy bill Govt will consider autonomy resolution: PM
More reports on J&K
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
