Srinagar: A total of 101 nominations were filed for Kathua Municipal Council and five Municipal Committees of the district on Wednesday – the second last day of filing of nominations.
The district is going to polls on October 10 and till date 232 persons have joined the fray including 84 for Kathua Municipal Council, 32 for Billawar Municipal Committee, 28 for Basholi Municipal Committee, 10 for Lakhanpur Municipal Committee, 14 for Hiranagar Municipal Committee and 64 for Parole Municipal Committee. Of these 94 are from national parties, 17 from regional parties and 121 independents.
Around 31 persons filed their nomination in Reasi district. Sixteen filed nomination for Katra Municipal Committee and 15 for Reasi Municipal Committee.
Total 87 candidates have filed nominations since September 22, out of which 40 have filed for Katra MC and 47 for Reasi MC. Reasi Municipal Committee has 4530 voters while Municipal Committee Katra has 5674 voters. Both the committees have 13 wards each.
A total 85 candidates filed their nomination papers across five Municipal Committees and one Municipal Council of this district on the fourth day.
The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said that the party is determined to contest the upcoming Municipal polls from each and every ward of Kashmir, saying that those who boycotted the elections did injustice with people of Kashmir.
BJP state president Ravinder Raina said that over 50 candidates from Srinagar will be filling their nomination papers on BJP’s ticket for the upcoming Municipal polls tomorrow.
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 recently appealed political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to participate in the upcoming Panchayat and local body polls.
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”.
Congress, however decided to take part in the polls to keep ‘communal forces away.’
Moreover Sajad Lone’s Poeples Conference has also decided to take part in the upcoming civic polls.
The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said that the regional political parties have boycotted the upcoming Municipal and Panchayat elections due to fear, and added that they have apprehensions that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and National conference (NC) will field proxy candidates in the polls.
