Home Minister of India Rajnath Singh on Friday said local body polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be of historic significance in many ways and will help re-establish the long overdue grassroots’ democracy.
In a statement, the Singh said the Government of India will provide all support, including central forces, for smooth conduct of Panchayat and Urban Local Body polls.
“These local body elections will have a historic significance in many aspects. The local bodies’ elections in Jammu and Kashmir will re-establish the long overdue grassroots level democracy in the state,” he said.
Elections to local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir are due next month.
On Wednesday BJP had said that they are 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.
The State Congress on Thursday said that over 550 candidates of the party have filed their nomination papers for the upcoming Municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He added that in Kashmir region, barring some sensitive areas, the congress candidates from each and every ward will be filing their nomination papers for the polls.
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.
