Breakaway Jamaat-e-Islami faction in Kashmir claims recognition by ECI, pledges to ‘work within Constitutional framework’

The Justice and Development Front-J&K (JDF-J&K), a breakaway faction of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), on Friday (January 30, 2026) claimed to have been recognised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and pledged to function within the framework of the Constitution.    

“The ECI has accepted the application and recognised the JDF-J&K as a political party. This is an important step towards an enduring democratic process in J&K. This development should not be merely seen through the prism of the seats it can win. Instead, the party intends to walk the path so that no bans are imposed in the future and the bans in place are withdrawn,” JDF-J&K chief patron Ghulam Qadir Lone said.

The JDF-J&K was floated in Kashmir in 2024. Most of the current officer bearers are ex-JeI members, including president Shameem Ahmad Thokar, vice-chairman Abdul Rehman Shalla and general secretary Sayar Reshi. They all contested the 2024 Assembly elections as independent candidates. However, none managed to win any seat in Kashmir.

Mr. Lone blamed the 1987 “rigged elections” as one of the causes of the disturbance in J&K and praised the 2024 Assembly elections. “One of the reasons for disturbance in J&K was the 1987 rigged election, which the Muslim United Front contested. However, the 2024 Assembly elections were so free and fair that no single voice raised questions. If such elections were held in the past, the situation in Kashmir would have been different,” Mr. Lone said.

He said the party could not win any seat in 2024, but the atmosphere in favour of elections was improved. “The Government of India also realised that the elections should be fair,” he added.

Sketching the party’s contours, Mr. Lone said, “J&K is with India. One should not function outside the Constitution, by seeking Pakistan or separation, and invite trouble,” Mr. Lone said. “It is because of this we are suspects, whether a preacher in a mosque or a politician,” he added.   

He said India and Pakistan are two nuclear states and will resolve issues through dialogue. “J&K has no role in it,” Mr. Lone said.

The party patron pledged to fight moral battles, such as ending drug abuse, corruption and overspending in weddings. “No one is coming forward to change it. We will educate people about it,” Mr. Lone said, who also served the banned JeI in the past.

The JeI was banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 2019 and declared “an illegal association” under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for a period of five years. The ban was extended till 2029 in 2024.