Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 19: As the mainstream political parties are gearing up to garner support for their candidates to four seats in the Legislative Council from Panchayat quota the elections to which will be held on December 3, the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Movement (JKPRM) today decided to launch a campaign against the National Conference and Congress coalition candidates.
Addressing a press conference here this afternoon, Shahnawaz Sultan, convener, JKPRM said that the Legislative Council elections are useless since the elections for Block Development Council and District Development Board have been deferred. He said the State Government has by-passed the second and third tier of the Panchayati Raj.
“The State Government has failed in empowering the Panchayats and despite repeated statements the grassroots representatives of people continue to suffer. Since the Government has ditched us we have decided to launch a campaign against their candidates during the forthcoming Legislative Council elections. Our members would visit the villages and far-flung areas and make the Sarpanchs as well as Panchs aware about the hoax slogans of the Government in empowering the Panchayats,” said Shahnawaz.
Shahnawaz said, the JKPRM would leave it up to the Panchs and Sarpanchs whom to vote for during the Council elections, adding that their sole aim is to defeat the candidates nominated by the coalition partners. He alleged that the State Government has made the Panchayati Raj system in the State a mockery due to the non-establishment of Election Commission and Finance Commission.
“The elections for four seats in the Legislative Council are being held by the Government to rehabilitate its own people under the garb of grassroots democracy. But we are not going to sit back and we would ensure that the National Conference and Congress candidates don’t get elected in the name of the Panchayats in the Legislative Council,” said Shahnawaz.
Shahnawaz said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Panchayati Raj Minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar should desist from issuing statements about the empowerment of Panchayats in the State. He said, Omar had himself acknowledged that funds to the tune of Rs. 365 crore under the rural development have been blocked due to the non-empowerment of the Panchayats in the State.
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