Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 4: Blaming the BJP for imposing Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and Panchayat elections on people of Kashmir without taking ground realities into consideration, J&K Pradesh Congress vice president and MLC, GN Monga today said the credibility of the poll process has been badly affected.
In a statement issued to press here, Monga said out of a total 624 municipal wards in Kashmir Valley, no candidate has filed nomination in 177 wards while in 215 wards the candidates have been declared unopposed. “It speaks volumes about the credibility of these elections which were imposed on the people by power-thirsty BJP. More than two lakh people would not exercise their franchise due to non-availability of candidates. What will be the credibility of these polls, where even finding a candidate to contest has become difficult,” he said.
“Holding elections in haste without taking ground realities into consideration at a politically sensitive place like Kashmir could prove suicidal. The absence of regional parties in the poll process, prevailing law and order situation and people not ready for polls were enough reasons to defer the polls for some time. But the BJP for their own interests didn’t care about it,” he added.
The Congress leader said that even the names of contesting candidates are not being made public by the poll authorities due to the prevailing situation. “When the voter doesn’t have knowledge about whom he is voting and what are the credentials of the candidates, what sort of democracy it is. The BJP had made the whole poll exercise a mockery for its own benefit,” Monga said.
He further said after the BJP led Center announced the ULB and Panchayat polls in haste in the state, Congress had no choice but to accept the elections. “The pretended Kashmir friendly intentions of BJP are a mirage. “ We will face the elections and fight with high spirits. Congress only relies on the support of common people it enjoyed since its inception. However, the BJP is using official machinery for the polls which is unfortunate in a democracy,” the Congress leader said.
“While the candidates contesting on BJP ticket are being given adequate security, the same is being denied to Congress candidates, “ he alleged.