Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 18: Former Member Parliament and State president of Samajwadi Party (SP) Sheikh Abdul Rehman has alleged that declaring Prime Ministerial candidate before elections is undemocratic and unconstitutional.
Addressing press conference here today, Mr Rehman claimed that 2014 elections are entirely different from the earlier 15 Lok Sabha elections held in the country. This time it appears that the process of electioneering is un-democratic and un constitutional because Prime Minister is always elected by the elected MPs amongst themselves in the new House who becomes the leader of the majority party. But announcing a Prime Ministerial candidate before the polls amounts to misleading the country men and thereby violating the set democratic norms and procedure which will prove harmful in near future.
Rehman said no doubt, people this time were in the mood of change due to un-precedented corruption, price rise, mis-governance, unemployment and one after another scandals, but all these issues were left aside and the polarization of votes and communal frenzy has come to the fore front endangering the most vital unity and integrity of the nation which may kill the basic soul of our democracy. He alleged that media has also played a partisan role as mouth piece of corporate houses leaving no room for the honest, sincere and dedicated figures of public life. It indicates that real values of democracy stand hijacked by the big corporate houses giving speculations and apprehensions of more price rise in the country in near future.
The SP leader predicted that next PM of India will neither be from UPA or NDA but from a federal and secular third front as country will have a hung Parliament. He alleged that SP has fielded three candidates from Jammu-Poonch, Doda-Udhampur and Anantnag Lok Sabha seat but they have not been provided security by the State administration. Due to this reason party withdrew Udhampur- Doda candidate.