Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 18: Former minister and DCC Kathua president, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma today condemned the Election Commission’s decision not to hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir with the Lok Sabha polls which has prompted charges that it’s an admission of the failure of the Centre’s policy toward Jammu & Kashmir.
In a press statement here Dr Sharma said if the Lok Sabha elections were held in all the six constituencies in the State, then why Assembly polls were not held alongside. On Election Commissions citing of security reasons, Dr Sharma said it is strange to observe how the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir is good for the conduct of the Lok Sabha elections, Panchayat/Municipal elections and not for the Assembly elections.
Manohar said decision not to hold Assembly elections along with Parliamentary elections in J&K confirms sinister designs and failure of Modi Government. He further questioned what happened GoI slogan of `One Nation, One Poll’ slogan and quoted that by not letting people elect a Government is unethical to the very idea of democracy.
DCC chief said PM, Modi and his Government believes in giving hollow slogans and hence `One Nation, One Poll’ is latest addition to NDA Governments list of hollow slogans. He termed it as a tactic of buying time to dis-empower people by pushing an agenda that suits their ulterior motives. He added “In 2014 during UPA’S Govt both Lok Sabha & Assembly elections were conducted on schedule even after the most devastating floods in the State.
Dr Sharma questioned what happened to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s assurance that forces would be made available for simultaneous elections in the State. The Assembly was dissolved on November 22 last year after having been kept in suspended animation since June when the BJP ended its alliance with the PDP. All the non-BJP political parties in Jammu and Kashmir in their meeting with the full Election Commission when it visited the State appealed for the holding of simultaneous elections. Manohar said the Election Commission should seriously consider this issue and announce the schedule for the Assembly election as early as possible in J&K.
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