Cong boycotts BDC polls, total 1382 to contest on 310 blocks

TNN Bureau. Updated: 10/10/2019 9:49:30 AM Front Page

Competition missing, BJP clear favourite from JKNPP

“BJP-led NDA government destroyed Jammu and Kashmir”

JAMMU: In a U-turn, the Congress on Wednesday announced it will boycott the upcoming Block Development Council (BDC) polls in Jammu and Kashmir, days after saying it will take part in the October 24 election, thus leaving the field open for BJP, which will face competition from independents and a comparatively feeble JKNPP.

A total of 1382 candidates have filed their papers to contest on the 310 blocks till Wednesday, the last day of filing the nominations.

With PDP, NC having already decided to stay away from the polls, the field is now left wide open for Bharatiya Janata Party, which is a clear favourite for the win, even as some competition will come from independent panches and sarpanches, while chances of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party making any great impact are feeble.

The BDC polls will be the first to be held in the state since its special status under Article 370 was revoked on August 5.

Despite expressing its reservation on the timing of the polls and the ongoing security situation in the state, the Congress, had decided to take part in the BDC election last week.

But on Wednesday, the opposition party cited the "indifferent" attitude of the state administration and the continued detention of its senior leaders in the wake of the Centre revoking the state's special status under Article 370 of the Constitution to justify its decision to boycott the polls.

"The Congress believes in strengthening of democratic institutions and it has never shied away from any polls. But today, we are compelled to take a decision to boycott the BDC polls due to the indifferent attitude of the state administration and the continued detention of senior party leaders in the valley," Ghulam Ahmad Mir, the Jammu and Kashmir unit chief of the grand old party, told reporters here.

Mir, who himself was released from house arrest in Jammu recently, accused the state administration of deliberately creating hurdles for the mainstream political parties in the state in order to facilitate the victory of the ruling BJP in the BDC polls.

"They have kept leaders and cadres under detention. They did not allow political activity to take place and the Congress was deliberately targeted in this exercise," the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief said.

Mir said the Congress had approached the State Election Commission for facilitating a smooth movement of its leaders after deciding to take part in the polls.

"We had issued letters to candidates for taking part in the BDC polls so that we could contribute to the democratic exercise and some of our candidates had also filed their nominations," he said.

However, since Wednesday was the last day for filing of nominations, "we have decided to stay away from the polls, which should have been deferred taking into consideration the prevailing situation in the state, as was demanded by all opposition political parties", Mir added.

Accusing the state administration of favouring the BJP, he said Congress leaders were being denied security and not allowed to move out of their homes at a time when the Director General of Police had put the number of active militants in the state at 300.

"We are continuously being harassed, despite being a responsible national party. We were ready for the election because it was the dream of our leader Rajiv Gandhi to strengthen the panchayati raj institutions, but the government forced us to boycott the polls," the Congress leader said.

Stating that the administration was holding the polls under the state's Constitution, instead of in accordance with the 73rd amendment of the Constitution, he said, "The three-tier system was introduced by the Congress through an amendment in the state Panchayati Act. The BJP, during its rule, abolished the Act under which, everyone was elected by the electorate."

"By holding the BDC polls without consulting the mainstream parties, the governor's administration is fulfilling his goal or the goal of the ruling party. They are holding the BDC polls in those blocks where the number of panches is one or three," Mir said, adding that elections were not held in 12,500 panchayats last year and instead, the BDC polls were being conducted.

He said the Congress leadership had appealed for a deferment of the BDC election the day it was announced because the situation was not conducive and there was no political atmosphere as a number of leaders were under detention.

Mir also accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of destroying the state by unilaterally abrogating provisions of Article 370 and bifurcating it into two union territories, and said the situation in the valley is the "worst ever" despite claims of restoration of normalcy by the government.

"Congress at the national and the state level has already made its stand clear on the developments of August 5 and 6 (when the special status was revoked under Article 370). It was done in an undemocratic and unconstitutional manner under a conspiracy to destroy our beautiful state which has its own identity before independence of the country and became part of India like other states post independence," Mir told.

"Jammu and Kashmir was not the only state enjoying special status under the Constitution. At least 10 other states of the country are enjoying special status to safeguard land and cultural identity of the people and jobs," he said.

He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir were kept in the dark and within six minutes all the decisions were taken by the Centre unilaterally to "destroy" the state.

"The Congress party did not accept this from day one as the manner it was done was against democracy and the Constitution of the country. Different decision regarding Jammu and Kashmir have been taken in the past 70 years (by the Congress) but every time the stakeholders were taken on board," he said.

The Congress leader said the Centre did not take the people and mainstream political leaders on board and "thousands of people, irrespective of their age, were put into jails and detained in their homes."

"The government is viewing the situation through its own mirror otherwise everyone knows how better the situation is in Kashmir. Shops, business establishments and all educational institutions are closed in Kashmir," he said replying to a question on the situation in the valley.

He said, "Although he had no communication on the ground in the valley but after observing the situation I think it is the worst (situation) ever. The detention of leaders can be part of politics and traders shutting their business is nothing new for Kashmir and I have not much concern over the two.

"However, my concern is that pre-nursery to middle school are closed for the last 66 days and what is going on in the mind of our children, who are the future of the country. What impact will this have on their minds? Nothing of this (prolonged closure of schools) had happened till date in the valley," Mir said.

He said internet is not functional even in Jammu, let alone Kashmir where the landline phones are the only means of communication. Only the businessmen have the land line facilities.

"I am myself very perturbed because I have only one landline number to talk to a party leaders in the entire Kashmir. How far can I reach through this landline? If restoring landlines is normalcy, congratulations to them."
Mainstream political leaders in the valley, including former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, have either been detained or placed under house arrest since the government announced abrogation of Article 370 over two months ago.

The state administration had last week said the political leaders, who were under house arrest in the valley, would be released in a phased manner after a proper analysis of every individual.

Mir said many people have moved the Supreme Court to challenge the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state and the apex court has accepted the petitions and issued notices to the central government.

"The next date of hearing on the petitions is November 14, which means that the whole process is subjudice. Now it is for the central government to decide whether it will go by the Supreme Court or on its own on the issue," he said, adding that the Congress will speak on this issue separately.


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