Apni Party to go solo in J-K polls, says Altaf Bukhari; manifesto bats for restoration of statehood, CM powers

In its manifesto, the Apni Party has pledged restoration of the powers of the Cabinet and the Chief Minister, recently transferred to the Lt Governor.
The mainstream parties in Kashmir castigated the Centre last month when it notified changes that enhanced the powers of the Lt Governor on government departments and over the appointments and transfer of senior civil and police officers.

The last elected government in J&K was dissolved in 2018, when the BJP walked out of an alliance with the PDP. After that, J&K was first governed by the Governor and, after the abrogation of Article 370 giving it special status on August 5, 2019 along with its reorganisation, by the Lt Governor, currently Manoj Sinha.

The JKAP manifesto says that upon restoration of J&K’s statehood, “we will vigorously seek the reinstatement of a bicameral legislature, comprising both a Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, as existed before August 5, 2019”.

“The Apni Party will press for constitutional guarantees to preserve the culture and special identity of Jammu and Kashmir, similar to the provisions of Article 371 in some north-eastern states. This includes land and job protection, addressing the people’s sense of loss,” the manifesto says.

“The Apni Party will revisit and restore all the laws that were withdrawn or amended over time. Our party will secure constitutional guarantees for the protection of land and job security for local youth,” says the manifesto released by party general secretary Rafi Mir.

The manifesto also promises 500 units of free electricity. Along with unemployment, the inadequate supply of power has emerged as one of the key election issues this time.

In its poll manifesto released Monday, the Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference (NC) has promised 200 units of free electricity.

The JKAP manifesto proposes a review of the Forest Rights Act, an important concern among the Gujjar and Pahari communities in J&K.
The poll document states that “with the situation returning to normal,” the Apni Party would leave no stone unturned to secure the early release of detainees not involved in heinous crimes. “We will ensure the establishment of a fast-track board to review and dispose of cases for those languishing in jails under the Public Safety Act (PSA) even after their imprisonment terms have expired.”

The party has also promised that “Cases against teenagers detained in the summer of 2016, now adults, will also be withdrawn to enable them to pursue government jobs without hindrance. Apni Party will ensure one-time amnesty for all the detainees with a cut-off date ending August 2024 on production of an affidavit attested from court,” it said.

The summer of 2016 saw prolonged street protests in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. Several teenagers were detained or arrested in cases of stone pelting.

The party has also proposed enhancement in social security remuneration such as old age, widow, and disability pensions from Rs l,000 to Rs 5,000 “for every deserving individual,” regularisation of daily wage workers and improving road connectivity.

In the Lok Sabha polls, the Apni Party contested two out of J&K’s five constituencies – Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri – with the party’s candidates forfeiting their deposits in both the seats despite its known proximity to the BJP.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Altaf Bukhari said, “The mainstay of our manifesto is the amnesty scheme. This is the biggest concern among the people here – the arrests, the verifications and the way people are struggling because of these processes. The second thing is employment. There are almost 2 lakh vacant posts in government and we will fill those as soon as possible.”

On the Lok Sabha poll results, Bukhari said the “biggest learning” from it was that “there is resentment against national parties and whether it is BJP or Congress or AAP, they have all voted for revocation of Article 370”.

In the Lok Sabha polls, the Apni Party had also supported the Sajad Lone-led People’s Conference in the Baramulla seat. However, Bukhari asserted that “this time we will fight alone and not align with any party”.

Claiming that the Apni Party would campaign on the efforts made towards safeguarding land and jobs in J&K for the local population by “negotiating” with the Centre, Bukhari said, “We are a new party but we have worked for the people since the first day and we will continue those efforts.”

On Wednesday, the Apni Party also released its first list of eight candidates from South Kashmir, which is going to polls in the first phase of the three-phase elections on September 18. The polling in the remaining phases will be held on September 25 and October 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for October 4.

In its manifesto, the NC has promised the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A as well as the repeal of the PSA among its 12 guarantees.