Srinagar: The decision by the India-installed Lieutenant Governor of occupied Jammu and Kashmir to nominate five members to the territory’s assembly has sparked a wave of criticism from political and legal circles, with many experts condemning the move as an attempt to manipulate election outcomes.

According to Kashmir Media Service, PDP leader Iltija Mufti has called the nominations a clear case of “brazen pre-result rigging,” with the act intended to inflate the assembly’s membership to 95. This move has been met with accusations of undermining the democratic process in the region.

Senior advocate Mohinder Bhardwaj, also the Working President of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress, has described the nomination process as “grossly illegal and unconstitutional.” He highlighted the potential for this issue to face constitutional and judicial scrutiny, suggesting that it infringes on the rights of the Kashmiri populace.

Further legal insights were provided by Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Ashwani Kumar Dubey, both prominent advocates, who criticized the central government’s interference in Jammu and Kashmir’s political processes. Sankaranarayanan emphasized the detrimental impact such actions have on the autonomy of elected governments in the region.