Delay in 2018 J&K polls part of ‘conspiracy’ to scrap Article 370 via backdoor: NC MP Ruhullah Mehdi
Srinagar, September 29: National Conference (NC) MP Ruhullah Mehdi has alleged that the delay in holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after the dissolution of the legislative assembly in 2018 was a “deliberate and calculated conspiracy” aimed at paving the way for the abrogation of Article 370 through undemocratic means. Speaking to reporters in Budgam, Mehdi asserted that the postponement of polls was not merely an administrative lapse but part of a larger plan to ensure that no elected government was in place when the constitutional change was carried out.
“The Constitution of India clearly states that elections must be held within six months of the dissolution of an assembly or the vacancy of any seat. In 2018, after the assembly here was dissolved, this regime willfully delayed the elections, which was both unconstitutional and illegal,” Mehdi said. He claimed that the intent behind the delay was to prevent the reconstitution of a representative legislative body that could oppose or challenge the move to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Mehdi further alleged that the absence of an elected assembly allowed the government to bypass democratic institutions and push through the abrogation of Article 370 “through the backdoor” using the governor’s assent. “It was all part of a conspiracy to ensure that no people’s mandate stood in their way. With an elected assembly in place, such a move would have faced resistance. But without it, they used the governor’s signature to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its constitutional status,” he remarked.
The Srinagar MP also reiterated that the events surrounding 2018 and the subsequent developments in August 2019 represent a serious undermining of constitutional democracy. According to him, the decision to delay elections was a strategic step that ultimately facilitated the abrogation of Article 370 without the consent or participation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “This was not just a political maneuver; it was a subversion of the constitutional process itself,” Mehdi added, calling for a deeper public discussion on the implications of such actions for democratic governance in the region.
