J&K: Regional autonomy top of National Conference poll sops

The National Conference has taken pre-poll sops to a new level by promising regional autonomy within 30 days of coming to power in Jammu and Kashmir.

"If voted to power in the ensuing Assembly elections, regional autonomy will be granted in Jammu and Kashmir within 30 days of the party forming the government. The roadmap in this regard has been drawn between 1996 and 2002 and the larger objective of regional autonomy will be polico-economic empowerment of all the regions of the state," said Dr Farooq Abdullah, president of National Conference (NC) .

Farooq's promise comes a day after Jammu and Kashmir was placed under president's rule spurring fresh demands for early elections in the restive state.

The then NC government led by Farooq Abdullah had passed the autonomy resolution in Legislative Assembly with two-third majority on June 26, 2000, However, it was summarily rejected by the then NDA government at the Centre led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Under the autonomy resolution, Jammu and Kashmir shall enjoy complete autonomy on all the issues except defence, foreign policy and communication, which will lie with the Centre.

"Jammu and Kashmir is a unique state that needs special dispensation in terms of autonomy to different regions to satiate urges and aspiration of the people. Major ground work has been done in this regard with avowed objective of empowering the people at grass roots level and enabling them to take decisions as per their regional priorities. Such a mechanism under overall superintendence of the State government will further strengthen the regional unity, which is imperative for singular entity of J&K", said Farooq.

Earlier his son and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah strongly pitched for the early assembly polls in the state.

"Sir, please also commit your government to assembly elections in J&K. Vested interests, including some occupying positions of authority in J&K, are trying to engineer a delay. Your government's handling of J&K will be judged by whether assembly elections are on time or not sir", Omar tweeted after Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about high voter turnout.

National Conference and PDP had boycotted recently concluded Municipal and Panchayat polls on the issue of state subject law under Article 35 A