Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has called a meeting of her party leaders to decide on their participation in upcoming panchayat and urban local bodies polls in the state, NDTV reported.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is headed by Mehbooba, has dropped a hint to boycott the elections until the constitutional validity of Article 35-A is protected.
J&K’s main opposition National Conference has already announced the boycott of panchayat and urban local bodies polls unless New Delhi provides safeguards to protect 35A.
On September 8, NC’s chief Farooq Abdullah threatened to boycott Lok Sabha and assembly elections as well if the government of India doesn’t end ambiguity in its stand on Article 35-A.
Article 35A, which gives special rights to people in the state and bars outsiders from owning immovable property, has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
In August, the top court deferred the case till January 2019. Attorney General K K Venugopal and Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the centre and Jammu and Kashmir government told the court that the issue was “very sensitive” and keeping in mind the law and order situation, the hearing be held in January or March, 2019.