‘EC has to take decision on Assembly poll’
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Oct 17: Rejecting the opposition charges that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suffered a setback in recently held Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil elections, party national general secretary, incharge J&K and Ladakh UTs, Tarun Chugh asserted that the BJP’s vote share as well as seat count saw an increase in the LAHDC, Kargil election.
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Talking to reporters on the sidelines of party’s one day workshop held in connection with three months mass campaigning to be organised for next year Parliamentary elections here today, Chugh said Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held soon as the process of delimitation and preparing the voter list has been completed.
Turning tables on Gupkar Alliance, he claimed that the alliance which had faced a defeat in the Local Bodies’ election will have to suffer a similar outcome in the Assembly polls also.
“The election will take place on time. Several decades had gone by without delimitation of constituencies. Now, delimitation of the Assembly constituencies has taken place. The voter list has been prepared. It has been sent to the political parties for the submission of their objections. Accordingly, the election will be held soon,” Chugh told reporters here.
He said BJP as a party is always ready for elections and the Election Commission of India has to take a call in this regard.
Chugh said as far as the Urban Local Body (ULB) polls are concerned, the local bodies have submitted 700 written complaints citing discrepancies in the Ward and Gram Panchayat listings.
“We have been denied our right to vote. The Ward and Gram Panchayat formula in Kargil is faulty and has been crafted with a certain bias. I request the Government to rectify this,” the BJP leader said, replying to a question about the opposition’s charge that the Government has failed to hold the much-awaited polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Replying to another question about the Kargil polls, he said the voter turnout in the election saw a five-fold increase compared to the past.
“We contested on just 16 seats and received full blessings from the people. The BJP won two seats, in comparison to one in the previous election while our vote share has considerably increased,” he said.
Chugh said the vote share as well as the seat count of the Saffron party witnessed an increase in the Kargil polls and accused the opposition of creating confusion about it.
On the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP leader said the Union Territory, which was once known as the “capital of terrorism”, has been transformed into a hub of tourism and development under Narendra Modi and after abrogation of controversial Articles 370 and 35 A. “The J&K got real freedom on August 5 in 2019 after Modi Government annulled the Articles 370 and 35-A”, he added.
He said the Opposition parties who are talking about BJP’s debacle in LAHDC elections if were so sure of their victory in contesting elections separately then why they fought elections in alliance and did not contest separately. Despite fighting elections jointly they could not improve their score while BJP improved its position considerably, he added.
“From being labelled as the ‘terrorism capital’, Jammu and Kashmir has been transformed into a hub of tourism. The era of development has commenced in Jammu and Kashmir, a region that was deprived of progress for decades by the previous Governments,” he said.
Chugh said three dynasts Abdullahs, Nehru-Gandhi and Muftis were responsible for what happened in J&K prior to 2019 as they looted the resources of the erstwhile State and left people to fend for themselves.
He said the Modi Government put the UT on path of progress and development by launching many public welfare schemes and projects.
Chugh said a new era of peace and development has dawned in Jammu and Kashmir and the youngsters of the region are being empowered.
“One of the most significant achievements is our successful crackdown on terrorism. Those who harm our civilians will never be pardoned,” he asserted.
“Under the leadership of (Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief) Ravinder Raina, we are conducting Jan Samvad events at all booths,” Chugh said.
Maintaining that the BJP came to power with a commitment to not tolerate corruption, Chugh said that corrupt individuals will face consequences.
Responding to questions regarding the on -going searches in the residence of former Minister Choudhary Lal Singh – currently a Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party leader – in Kathua and allegations by opposition parties that Central agencies are being used to silence them, he said “Corrupt people will not be tolerated. The BJP had come to power with this commitment to the people of this country,”.
“Corrupt individuals will face consequences. The ED is an independent agency that operates based on its own information and investigations,” he said.
Addressing the party workshop later Chugh lambasted Gupkar Alliance saying that BJP is on ideological war with them and party will fight it to logical conclusion.
He said they are working for breaking J&K while “we are for its total integration with the country.” He said the war started during the time of Sher-e-Duggar, Pt Prem Nath Dogra and Dr Shyama Prasad Mookherjee was taken to logical conclusion by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
These parties want that the controversial 370 should be restored which BJP will not allow, he added.
Chugh made it clear that BJP will not spare terrorists and allow the killing of the people. There has been discernible change in J&K under Modi rule and the era of stone pelting, strikes and bandhs is gone.
Earlier ISI and Pak flags were being hoisted in Kashmir during the rule of opposition parties now the Tricolours are being hoisted and Tiranga rallies are being taken out, he added.
Hitting out at dynastic parties, he said they made terrorists heroes while BJP made hardworking people of J&K as heroes and situation has changed and National flags are being hoisted on every roof top now.
Addressing the workshop, BJP president, Ravinder Raina highlighted the development which took place in J&K under Modi rule. He said the highways, bridges, Medical Colleges, AIIMS, IIT, IIM, Engineering Colleges etc are the game changing projects for J&K. Besides, Ayushman Bharat, reservation to women, free cooking gas, rights to Gujjars, refugees and Gadi Sipi are also the revolutionary decisions of Modi Government, he added.
Raina said even the former CM and NC leader, Omar Abdullah acknowledged this during a recent TV interview that J&K has made lot of development during Modi rule.
Hitting out at Gupkar Alliance, he said its recent protest at Jammu was a flop show and those who gave call of protest skipped it citing health problems as they fared that the people will not turn up in the protest.
Party Seh Prabhari J&K, Ashish Sood also highlighted the progress made by country during last nine years of Modi Government saying India’s prestige has increased at international level. He asked party men to fan out in different parts of the UT and highlight the public welfare schemes of the Government.
BJP general secretary, (Org) Ashok Kaul highlighted the party activities and programmes of BJP while party general secretary, Dr Devender Manyal highlighted the development schemes of the BJP Government.
Party senior leader, Devender Singh Rana asked party men to take the BJP message and developmental and public welfare programmes of the Modi Government to people and also listen to their grievances and work for their redressal. He also stressed on strongly countering the opposition narrative.
Party general secretary, Vibodh Gupta urged the activists to counter the opposition narrative and set their own narrative. Another party general secretary, Sunil Sharma highlighted the progress and change that took place in J&K after the annulling of Articles 370 and 35 A.
The three month long Abhiyan for the Parliament elections will begin on October 24 and conclude on January 14 next year.
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