Prime Minister's J&K all party meet may not discuss statehood, to focus on delimitation process: Report

An NDTV report said, citing a source, restoring statehood can be discussed but such a step will require sanction of parliament. Further, restoring the special status which was granted to Jammu and Kashmir under article 370 of the Constitution was also out of question, the source added.

Currently, the Centre is only thinking about starting assembly election process for which delimitation exercise has to be completed first.

Delimitation means redrawing the boundaries of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in a state or union territory.

Fourteen leaders of eight political parties, including Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference leaders Mehbooba Mufti, Omar and Farooq Abdullah, have been invited to the June 24 meeting which will take place in Delhi.

This will be the Prime Minister's first interaction with political parties of Jammu and Kashmir since August 2019.

So far, most of the political leaders have skipped the meetings of the delimitation commission.

In the meeting, the Prime Minister is expected to urge the leaders to take part in the delimitation exercise in order to complete the process with consensus, the source told NDTV.

PDP also held a meeting today to discuss the invitation but no announcement has been made on the decision so far.

The Prime Minister's meeting with leaders of Jammu Kashmir will also send a message to the international community that the government's exercise has wider political acceptance and support, the report added.