PM's Big Meeting On Jammu and Kashmir Today: What's At Stake

Many reports say the meeting may focus on the delimitation exercise to redraw the boundaries of assembly constituencies in J&K ahead of assembly elections.

Nearly two years after Jammu and Kashmir lost its special status and was downgraded into two Union Territories, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called political parties to discuss the road ahead. This is the PM's first outreach towards parties that have denounced what is possibly his biggest political decision. Four former J&K Chief Ministers are among the 14 leaders invited to the meeting. Three of them, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, were jailed for six months to one year from August 5, 2019, when the changes were enforced. There is no specific agenda for the meeting. Leaders participating in it say, however, that their agenda is very clear -- Jammu and Kashmir, the decision taken by the Prime Minister on August 5 and restoration of statehood. Many reports say the meeting may focus on the delimitation exercise to redraw the boundaries of assembly constituencies in J&K ahead of assembly elections.