Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 20: Ahead of Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, All J&K Gujjar- Bakerwal Organizations Coordination Committee has sought a clarification from the Centre on the nine reserved seats for them in the Union Territory, given induction of four more groups in the list early this year.
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Talking to media persons, here today, Chairman of AJKGBOCC, Advocate Mohammad Anwar Chowdhary claimed that the reservation of nine seats is meant only for a dozen communities declared as STs in 1989 and 1991 based on the Delimitation Commission report of 2022 and the ST population as per 2011 census.
“In 2024, separate 10 percent reservation was granted to Pahari Ethnic Group, Gadda Brahman, Koli, and Paddri Tribe who were declared ST and classified as ST-II. Under the said provision, individuals classified under ST-II are not eligible to apply for reserved Assembly seats allocated to ST-I and vice versa,” he explained.
Anwar Chowdhary said confusion was prevailing within the ST communities after the Election Commission announced three-phased elections, beginning September 18, with certain leaders from newly inducted ST communities expressing their desire to fight the elections from the ST reserved seats.
“We want the Government to come out with a clarification as soon as possible. We strongly believe that only the ST groups classified as ST-I are eligible to contest the reserved ST seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections,” he said.
Anwar Chowdhary reminded that the top BJP leadership and the Lt Governor have time and again assured the community that their reservation will not be diluted, particularly the rights of Gujjar-Bakerwals. “The Government should keep its word, failing which confidence of the people particularly of ST and SCs shall get shattered,” he said and added that they have already sent representations to this effect to the Chief Election Commissioner, Union Home Minister, Union Minister of SC and ST Affairs, Lt Governor of J&K and the Registrar General of Census.
Bashir Ahmed Noon, Shouket Javed and Shokat Gujjar, who were also present in the press conference, sought directions to every Deputy Commissioner/ District Election Officer that no nomination paper of any ST-II candidate be accepted for the reserved seats.
Aslam Khan, Zafar Iqbal Choudhary, Mohammad Azam Choudhary, Jameel Choudhary and Pervaiz Choudhary were also present in the press conference.
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