New Delhi, June 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with mainstream political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir today. Fourteen leaders from eight political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have been invited to Delhi for meeting with PM Narendra Modi. The meeting is the Centre's first major outreach to political leaders of the union territory since it withdrew the erstwhile state's special status granted under Article 370 and bifurcated it into two union territories in August 2019. Jammu and Kashmir: Gupkar Alliance Leaders Agree to Attend PM Narendra Modi Meet But Remain Rigid on Article 370, 35A.

Those invited by the Centre include four former Chief Ministers - Farooq Abdullah (NC), Omar Abdullah (NC), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) and Ghulam Nabi Azad (Congress) and four Deputy Chief Ministers - Muzaffar Hussain Baig (PDP), Tara Chand (Congress), Nirmal Singh (BJP) and Kavinder Gupta (BJP). Ravinder Raina, President of the BJP's J&K unit, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, President of J&K Pradesh Congress Committee, Bhim Singh, President of the J&K National Panthers Party, senior most leader of CPI(M) and former state secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, the PC President Sajad Lone and the Apni Party (AP) chief Altaf Bukhari have also been invited. Jammu and Kashmir: BJP Leader Rakesh Pandit Shot Dead by Three Unidentified Terrorists in Pulwama's Tral.

Here is a list of leaders who will attend the meeting.

  • The Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a seven-party conglomeration formed to push for restoration of statehood and special status of Jammu and Kashmir, has announced to attend PM Modi's meeting.

  • From the PAGD, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, People's Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti and CPI(M) leader Mohmmad Yusuf Tarigami will attend the meeting.

  • The Congress party has also announced to attend the meeting. Jammu and Kashmir Congress President Ghulam Ahmad Mir, former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and ex-Deputy CM Tara Chand will represent the grand old party at the meeting.

  • Former Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Nirmal Singh is among the 14 mainstream leaders who have been invited to the all-party meeting. He will attend.

  • People's Conference chief Sajjad Lone will also present at the meeting.

Jammu and Kashmir has been under President's Rule since 2018 when then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's government collapsed after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew its support. Today's meeting is expected to focus on the question of beginning the political process in the union territory. There is speculation of a restoration of statehood.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 24, 2021 08:43 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).