Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 21: As a well calculated move, National Conference (NC) President Dr Farooq Abdullah announced the boycott of the local bodies and Panchayat elections in the State using ‘assurance of State and Central Governments on the continuation of Art 35A’ as an alibi.
This was stated by Brig Anil Gupta, Spokesman of State BJP.
“The ploy of the NC was very obvious in which it once again wanted to blackmail the Centre in the hope that it would succumb to its dictate as has been happening during the UPA regime. It got a boost with PDP also joining the fray and Congress maintaining an ambivalent stand initially but the decision of the government to go ahead with the elections and ultimately deciding to participate, not only shocked and awed the NC but also triggered the panic button among its leadership,” claimed Brig Gupta.
In a handout he accused the NC of scuttling the democratic process of devolution of power to grass-root level institutions in order to protect the party’s family hierarchy.
“As the process of filing of nominations has begun, NC’s ‘double game’ has been exposed. It has been reliably learnt that many active members of NC who have in the past contested elections on party tickets and with party symbol have filed their nominations as independent candidates, particularly in areas south of Pir Panjal,” claimed Brig Gupta adding that PDP is also learnt to be holding closed door meetings to field shadow candidates.
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