Kashmir Anxiously Awaits 바카라�Modi Ki Guarantee바카라� On Assembly Elections, Statehood Restoration 

Kashmir is still in the grip of a winter chill. Though spring is yet to arrive, a 바카라�lotus bloom바카라� has been set in alongside the Jhelum바카라�s banks, en route to a spot where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address his first-ever rally in Kashmir during his second term. 

Modi has not visited Kashmir during his second term as PM. The last time he visited Kashmir was in February 2019 바카라� the time when J&K was still a state, though there was no elected government in place. Much has changed in Kashmir during these years. It is no more a state now while its special status has also been scrapped. Kashmir바카라�s administration is being run by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

The government says these years in Kashmir have been peaceful with no stone-pelting incidents, militant numbers are minuscule, and people have been provided with a transparent system. However, the political parties in Kashmir counter these claims of the administration and demand the holding of the assembly elections.  

This time, Modi will address Kashmir from Srinagar바카라�s Bakshi Stadium, the venue of his 바카라�Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir바카라� program. It is significant considering the political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have raised their pitch to conduct assembly elections alongside upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Besides, they are also demanding restoration of the statehood.

The last time assembly elections were held in J&K was in 2014. Post August 5, 2019, the Panchayat and DDC elections have been held, however, assembly elections have not been held.

Modi is also scheduled to inaugurate the integrated development project of the Hazratbal shrine along the banks of Dal Lake virtually from Bakshi Stadium.

The stringent security measures have been made for Modi바카라�s visit in Srinagar on Thursday. Srinagar, particularly Lal Chowk and adjacent areas to Bakshi Stadium, have been donned with PM바카라�s and BJP flags. At places, hoardings and banners of Modi have been set. 

The local BJP unit is upbeat about the PM바카라�s visit. For J&K BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur, Modi바카라�s Srinagar visit is going to be both 바카라�historic바카라� and 바카라�huge바카라�.

바카라�Two lakh people are expected to attend PM Modi rally,바카라� Thakur told Outlook.

For him, it will reflect a 바카라�change바카라� as he says Kashmir has moved on the path of development.

바카라�This will show the change. Abrogation of Article 370 is no issue now. It was in fact milked by three dynastic political parties. It was their propaganda,바카라� says Thakur. 

The spokesperson of the region바카라�s grand old party National Conference, Imran Nabi Dar, takes a dig at the BJP바카라�s Kashmir unit saying the government employees have been asked to attend the rally.

바카라�They (BJP) have already asked help from the government departments바카라�there have been reports which state that government employees have been asked to attend the function. So they (BJP) are themselves not sure whether ordinary people would turn up for the rally. Now they have resorted to bring in government employees. It shows the confidence level of BJP functionaries here. Because they might know that common people will not attend their functions which is why government servants have been asked,바카라� says Dar.

National Conference leader and former J&K CM Omar Abdullah also criticised the move to forcibly make government employees attend the Prime Minister's rally in Srinagar. He tweeted:

NC hopes that PM announces confidence-building measures (CBMs) for the people of Kashmir.

바카라�The thing is if the PM comes to Kashmir, like there has been the precedence in the past, some popular CBMs have been announced, new projects were announced, new things have been announced,바카라� says Dar.

Dar says for now there have been only 바카라�problems바카라� in Kashmir. 

바카라�There are no assembly elections happening, statehood has not been restored, and there are some issues like inflation. Unemployment is a big issue,바카라� says Dar, adding that there are many things like this that need to be addressed.

Dar further says, 바카라�As he is the head of the country, we are looking forward if something substantial comes towards people of J&K.바카라�

Dar says he hopes Modi will make some announcement about the thing the people of J&K have been eagerly waiting for. 

바카라�On the top of it are assembly elections because we have been kept away from the elections for the past four and half years. Things like statehood are pending which they had promised in Parliament. Time has now come for head of the country to announce CBMs for the good of the people of J&K,바카라� says Dar.

However, BJP바카라�s Thakur says Modi will announce a big development package which is 바카라�need of the hour바카라�.

바카라�There is going to be an announcement about a big package. At this stage, I don바카라�t think it is right to talk about the return of statehood. The Home Minister has already made that commitment. This whole program will rally around development,바카라� he says.

Besides, Thakur says Modi will also meet the families of martyrs and entrepreneurs at the spot.

The BJP has made elaborate arrangements to welcome its leader in the city with banners and hoardings of PM furling in the city.

Thakur also says it is for the Election Commission of India (ECI) to look into the matter of conducting simultaneously Parliamentary and Assembly elections in J&K.

The region바카라�s other political party, PDP, who ran the coalition government with BJP from 2014 to 2018 in J&K, wants Modi to be like his predecessor late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. PDP wants Modi to be Vajpayee 바카라� who spoke about 바카라�Insaniyaat, Jamhooriyaat, and Kashmiriyat바카라� during his rally in 2003.

바카라�When Vajpayeejee held rally in Kashmir바카라�people opened their hearts for him and left the rally with their heads high,바카라� says PDP spokesperson Najmu Saqib.

Saqib says Modi should rise to the occasion and try to heal the 바카라�wounds바카라� of Kashmiris. He says it is time to take a cue from the Vajpayee era when he spoke about healing and furthering ties with the neighbors at a time when acrimony was at its peak at the time of the Kargil War and the Parliament attack. 바카라�That was statesmanship,바카라� says Saqib.

Saqib says the people have got expectations. 

바카라�So what we are expecting right now is some sort of concrete thing for the people of Kashmir as PM himself said that 바카라�dil and Dilli ki duri khatam karna chahta hu바카라�. So we hope that there is a concrete step in that direction and that a concrete positive message is sent to the people because Kashmiris are wounded,바카라� he says.

Saqib says a 바카라�healing process of reconciliation and not a process of retribution바카라� is started.

바카라�There are families that have been affected by this conflict. Within the larger ambit of Constitution whatever was promised, we hope the PM rises to the occasion and hope he sees to it that people of J&K get a better deal,바카라� he adds.