New Delhi, August 6: With Jammu & Kashmir's special status revoked, former BJP veteran Yashwant Sinha feels that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised to break the electoral records of late ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi. The move to dilute Article 370, said Sinha, has struck a populist chord with citizens in all parts of the nation.

Though Sinha disapproved of the Centre's decision to scrap the special provisions under Article 370, including Article 35(A) which allowed the state assembly to define "permanent residents" of J&K, the 81-year-old said the BJP will reap massive electoral benefits due to the move. Kashmir Special Status Scrapped, Amit Shah Promises Speedy Development in Next 5 Years

"They will beat Rajiv Gandhi's record," Sinha was reported as saying to a leading news channel. Notably, the late Gandhi-led Congress had won over 400 seats in the 1984 elections, held shortly after the assassination of the then PM Indira Gandhi.

Sinha, however, added that the move has "nothing to do" with the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir, and is "purely political".

"There are state elections coming in some very important states of India, and this whole thing has been done in order to be able to win the elections," NDTV quoted the former Union Minister as saying.

Notably, the modification to Article 370, which has rendered Kashmir's special status null and void, were issued through a presidential order early on Monday.

The move came amid evacuation of tourists and Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Kashmir Valley, while deploying an unprecedented amount of additional military force in the conflict-ridden region. The state's pro-India political leaders were placed under house arrest since Sunday night, and taken into custody shortly after the new presidential order came into effect.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 06, 2019 09:04 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).