J&K Assembly Election 2024: Foreign diplomats arrive to observe ongoing electoral process

Srinagar: Amid the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, a delegation of foreign diplomats arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday to observe the electoral process.

Accompanied by four representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs, the 16-member delegation includes representatives from the United States, the European Union, Australia, along with a member from Russia.

Sources said that the visit aims to demonstrate the peaceful conduct of the electoral process and the significant public participation following the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state and was revoked in August 2019.

“The aim is to showcase the peaceful conduct of the electoral process and participation of people at a large scale in election process after the abrogation of Article 370,” they said, and added that diplomats are set to tour the central Kashmir districts of Srinagar and Budgam, where polling is ongoing in the second phase of elections.

Track live updates from Phase 2 polling in J&K

Reactions to the diplomats' visit have been mixed among political parties. People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra criticised the government's “contradictory approach” of seeking international attention while claiming to reject outside interference.

However, BJP’s J&K chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi welcomed the visit, emphasising that showcasing the electoral process is a celebration of democracy. He reiterated that the government opposes external interference in India’s internal matters.

Last month, a delegation from the US mission in India had also visited Kashmir and met National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah and J&K People's Conference chief Sajad Lone.

In January 2020, Delhi-based foreign diplomats visited Kashmir which at that time was described by opposition leaders as a “guided tour” designed by New Delhi to show normalcy in the region. The visit had come just five months after the abrogation of Article 370.

Again in February 2021, a group of 24 foreign envoys conducted a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir under a government initiative to showcase efforts to restore normalcy and boost development in the UT.

Assembly Elections 2024 | In the first assembly polls since the Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi and the BJP face a rejuvenated and vindicated Opposition in the Haryana assembly polls. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir is voting after almost a decade and it remains to be seen how the abrogation of Article 370 has impacted the political landscape of the Valley. Track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.