BJP’s attempts to get reserved seats rotated reflect defeat before polls: Rana

Jammu: Provincial President Devender Singh Rana on Monday expressed satisfaction over the assurance of Governor Satya Pal Malik against any attempt of trampling with basic constitutional framework of Jammu and Kashmir and other issues involving legalities like rotation of reserved seats and Resettlement Laws pending in the apex court.
“The Governor has assured that his administration will focus on governance and leave legal and constitutional matters to the elected government”. Rana said at a press conference soon after meeting the Governor at Raj Bhavan along with a delegation which comprised senior leaders Surjeet Singh Slathia, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo, Babu Ram Pal, Th Kashmira Singh, Dr Kamal Arora, Brij Mohan Sharma, S Trilochan Singh Wazir, Sheikh Bashir Ahmed and Qazi Jalal-ud-Din.
He said the delegation invited the attention of the Governor to media reports about the BJP’s overt and covert machinations in getting eight assembly seats of Kishtwar, Bishnah, Billawar, Nagrota, Vijaypur, Akhnoor and Ramnagar rotated. He said the BJP has seen writing on the wall on the face of rejection by the people and was thus indulging in deceit.
“These machinations also reflect BJP’s frustration and admission of having lost even as the bigul for elections is yet to sound”, Rana told the media, observing that coming events cast their shadow before. He said desperate BJP is showing signs and symptoms of defeat by resorting to behind the curtain conspiracies in the mistaken belief of manipulating the institution of the Governor and his inherent legislative powers in the wake of dissolution of Legislative Assembly. He said the attempts to get the course of constitutional framework changed will boomerang on the BJP.
On the issue of delimitation especially rotation of reserved category seats, Rana said the Legislative Assembly has passed with two third majority against any delimitation till 2026. “This was upheld by Jammu and Kashmir in 2010 and subsequently by the Supreme Court in 2011 in Bhim Singh versus State of Jammu and Kashmir case”, he said, hoping this position will be respected by the Constitutional Head, who is heading the government in absence of democratically elected dispensation.
Rana cautioned the BJP against its anti-J&K mindset, saying the people will fight tooth and nail its machinations and preserving the special identity of the State.
On the issue of the State Government’s reported response to resettlement laws in the Supreme Court & other legal matters, the Provincial President said we have been assured by the Governor that these issues would be addressed to by the elected government. He exuded confidence that the Governor will stick to his commitments and foil all attempts being engineered by the BJP with regarding to fiddling with the Constitution. He said the delegation urged the Governor to leave sensitive issues to the political establishment.
When asked about the reconstitution of Khadi and Village Industries Board, Rana said that National Conference registered its concern with the Governor, emphasizing that Raj Bhavan should maintain neutrality in such matters.
On the obtaining political situation, Rana exuded confidence about National Conference getting massive mandate of the people and forming a stable and strong government in the state. He ruled out any alliance, saying the party will contest ensuing elections on its own, as the government on crutches cannot meet the challenges faced to the state or deliver justice to the people. He said the priority of National Conference government would be to grant regional autonomy to satiate and urges and aspirations of the people of the state.