In search of the appropriate time

The centre has been keeping on assuring that the  restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir will happen at an "appropriate time." Barring the top central government leadership nobody knows when exactly that appropriate time will come. Will it come during the ongoing winter session of the Parliament or some other time later? So the wait is continuing. The political circles here hope that the wait this time does not prolong like that of the wait for assembly polls.

At the moment Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is in Saudi Arabia to perform " Umrah". So is the National Conference (NC) President Dr Farooq Abdullah and some other party leaders. NC's parliament members (MPs) particularly the senior leader Mian Altaf Ahmad have said that they would raise the statehood issue in the parliament. As the winter session of the parliament has started,  the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir has intensified its demand for statehood.

Some months back the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi  had assured that his party and other opposition parties would  pressurise the centre and ensure that statehood is restored  at the earliest. He had added that they would take up the issue in parliament in a big  and strong way. Right now Rahul Gandhi, his party and opposition are yet to recover from the shock of a defeat to them in Maharashtra assembly polls by BJP and its allies. However, victory in Jharkhand assembly polls by opposition and  the win of Priyanka Gandhi from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in the parliamentary by-poll provided some kind of solace to them.

Despite  Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi being members of the parliament their party is seemingly losing the confidence, which it had gained in parliamentary polls early this year. During the parliamentary polls BJP was claiming to cross 370 seats but could not get even the simple majority and had to form the government  with the support of other allies in  NDA.
With Congress now losing assembly polls in important states one after the other and its confidence shaking, how can it force the union government to restore the statehood to J&K is to be seen.

BJP says that not the Congress but only its government  can give back  the statehood.
So far as the parliament proceedings are concerned there are no indications yet  of the central government making any move for the restoration of the statehood. In the bills listed so far the restoration does not figure. The session started on November 25 and is scheduled to conclude on December 20. If centre is serious to restore the statehood in the winter session it can do so at any time. The union government abrogated the Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories on August 5, 2019 and nobody had any exact clue about it in advance even as there were some vague indications that something big was going to happen.

The abrogation of Article 370 continues a hot topic during election time in Jammu and Kashmir and rest of the country. BJP uses it to full advantage as was evident from the Maharashtra polls. The resolution passed in Jammu and Kashmir assembly for restoration of special status also did help to some extent the party there.

Next few months are crucial for Jammu and Kashmir not only because of the ongoing winter session of Parliament but also due to the coming budget session of the J&K assembly. The session is expected to start by the end of January or in February.

Earlier, the brief session of assembly from November 4 had witnessed the address of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the passing of the  special status related resolution, which had led to noisy scenes by the BJP, marshalling out of its members and walkout.  Now it is to be seen that what will be the response of BJP in budget session. Till the restoration of statehood the National Conference government will continue to find itself on a weak wicket both in the assembly and  on the power seat.