Hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 2024, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India has directed the Election Commission to conduct elections to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir by September 2024. 

The court also directed that the restoration of statehood should take place as soon as possible. This decision comes under Section 14 of the Reorganisation Act. 

The top court directed the poll panel to conduct polls in Jammu and Kashmir while pronouncing the verdict on a batch of pleas challenging the Centre's decision in August 2019 to abrogate Article 370. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the abrogation and said that the Centre's move was not mala fide. The court underlined that the now-repealed Article 370 was temporary and a result of "war conditions". It also held that the provision in the Article was aimed at integration of Jammu and Kashmir into India and not disintegration.