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State Congress decides to take part in municipal polls to ‘keep communal forces away’

The state Congress on Wednesday said that the party will participate in the upcoming Panchayat and Municipal elections, saying that the decision was taken to keep the communal forces away.

Addressing a press conference, JKPCC chief G A Mir said that the party will not stay away from the elections to “keep the ground open for the communal forces but we will fight with the full might.”

Meanwhile, The security agencies are chalking out a proper road map for security in the upcoming Municipal and Panchayat polls in Kashmir and candidates in volatile areas would be asked to hold rallies at designated places.

“Security forces will draw a plan to ensure trouble free panchayat polls. Designated places will be earmarked for rallies given the precarious security situation,” a senior security official said.

Both the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party, the two biggest regional political outfits have decided to boycott the elections as they have asked the Government of India to clear its stand on the issue of Article 35-A.

Home Minister of India Rajnath Singh on Monday appealed political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to participate in the upcoming Panchayat and local body polls.

On Monday, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also decided not to participate in the polls keeping in view the prevailing situation in the valley.

State Secretary CPI(M) Ghulam Nabi Malik, in a statement said that despite majority of mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir deciding not to participate in these polls shows the arrogance of the BJP-led Central Government.

The Joint Resistance Leaders (JRL) while reiterating their call of ULB, Panchayat polls said that  it is a “political gimmick to hoodwink international community”.

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