Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, 24 Sept: Expressing deep concern over the gross misconduct and breakdown of the electoral process in District Rajouri, Javed Iqbal Choudhary, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) candidate from Budhal Assembly Constituency on Wednesday flagged an alarming series of events pointing to collusion between local election authorities and the BJP candidate Zulfkar Ali.
A massive crackdown on National Conference leaders and workers across the Assembly Segment has come just hours ahead of the voting slated to begin on Wednesday morning, even as the social media is flooded with reports of cash and liquor distribution under the guise of security by BJP leaders and workers, despite the 48-hour silence period being in place.
While more than 50 JKNC election agents and community leaders have been detained to sabotage election polling tomorrow, phone calls have been made to over 200 JKNC workers to report to the police station immediately till the close of poll.
Detailing these incidents in a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, the NC leader asserted that he would be compelled to boycott the election on Wednesday and mobilise the party supporters towards the district headquarters if the harassment of NC members is not stopped immediately.
Raising alarm over serious electoral malpractices that have gone unaddressed by enforcement agencies, Javed Iqbal Choudhary said that despite the campaign cutoff at 6 PM on September 23, BJP leaders continue their activities without restraint, with outside politicians and religious leaders actively campaigning under the pretext of press conferences, even as numerous complaints made to the election authorities have gone unattended.
“Reports of cash and liquor distribution under the guise of security have persisted despite numerous complaints. This is widely reported in social media. In the 86-Budhal Assembly Segment, the situation has escalated. Enforcement agencies appear to be absent, forcing citizens to monitor vehicles transporting cash, liquor, and BJP voter slips,” Javed wrote in the letter.
Multiple JKNC election agents and community leaders have been arbitrarily detained, allegedly to create a favourable environment for BJP’s campaign. As of now, over 50 JKNC election agents have been held without justification, Javed said.
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