Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: National Conference (NC) today expressed apprehensions over conducting of Panchayat elections in a democratic way under the road blocks created by Government for political parties.
In a letter of Chief Electoral Officer of JK UT, Shailendra Kumar, NC Central Secretary, Rattan Lal Gupta said “if the aim of Government is to create conditions to exclude all other parties except the BJP then nothing more needs to be said but if the aim is to create a genuine culture of grass root democracy then the process adopted by the Government is deeply flawed one”.
“Kindly advice as to how these roadblocks that have been placed in the way of participation in the Panchayat elections can be overcome”, Gupta asked CEO? He further said “ We (NC) reiterate our commitment to strengthen democracy at grass root level., However for a genuine political exercise to happen it is important that the mainstream political thought which is unifying force is allowed to freely propagate and demonstrate its ideology”, he added.
He said for this to happen, a political eco system has to be developed to ensure that the democratic institutions for which members are elected, become genuine and credible reflectors of the people’s aspirations.
He said in the given circumstances, when the National Conference which is a strong votary of democratic process, wishes to participate but it is practically impossible for the party in view of the fact that the top leadership including its president, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Vice president, Omar Abdullah and general secretary, Ali Mohammed Sagar are in detention under Public Safety Act (PSA).
He said various other senior leaders are also under detention in Kashmir and so the process of selecting candidates, giving mandate and campaigning under the given circumstances is impossible.
He said CEO being an Election Authority responsible for holding of elections to Panchayats has notified holding of elections to 11639 Panchayats in J&K. But the schedule is prima facie defective since the election process for these Panchayats was notified and held earlier on non party basis. The need for filling up of vacant seats is the continuity of the earlier election process initiated by you as these Panches and Sarpanches are being elected for the remaining term of the earlier notification, he added.
Gupta maintained that NC is a premier political party of J&K which has not only pioneered but all along worked for strengthening the democracy at the grass root level. The party firmly believes in democratic rights of the people and their mandate to elect representatives at different levels of democratic polity.
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