BJP, Cong, Apni Party, BSP to contest DDC polls
PAGD yet to take call, NCWC to decide
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 2: Nearly half a dozen former Ministers and around 20 former legislators besides many other prominent political personalities have braced up to jump into the fray for elections to the District Development Councils (DDCs) which are likely to be announced anytime now even as the BJP, Congress, Apni Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and many other parties have decided to field their candidates even if the elections are held on non-party basis while People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) said it will take collective decision whenever the elections are announced.
Sources within various political parties including BJP, Apni Party and Congress told the Excelsior that around half a dozen former Ministers and nearly 20 former legislators (ex-MLAs and ex-MLCs) have decided to take plunge into the electoral battle to contest for Territorial Constituencies and some of them are aiming the posts of DDC chairpersons. The post of chairperson will have rank of the Minister.
Even the Territorial Constituency members will have significant say in the DDCs. Moreover, according to political parties, some of the leaders feel that with abolition of the Legislative Council, they won’t get a chance to become MLC and could settle for the post of Territorial Constituency member if they manage to win the election.
If the elections are held on non-party basis, the parties which have decided to contest the polls, will field their candidates as independents.
Meanwhile, PGDA spokesman Sajjad Lone told the Excelsior from New Delhi that the Alliance hasn’t yet discussed the issue of elections. However, CPM general secretary and PGDA leader MY Tarigami said the Alliance will take collective decision on the elections after an announcement is made.
“We are one Alliance and the decision will also be collective,” he said.
National Conference provincial president Devender Singh Rana said the National Conference Working Committee will sit and decide about the elections after formal announcement by the Election Authority.
It may be mentioned that NC, PDP, CPM, People’s Conference and some other groups are part of the PAGD.
However, Altaf Bukhari-led Apni Party has decided to participate in the DDC elections across Jammu and Kashmir saying the polls will strengthen the grass-root democracy.
“We feel the DDC polls will strengthen democracy at grass-root level. We stand for strengthening democracy. Even we want Statehood to be restored to J&K and elections for the Legislative Assembly also,” Apni Party senior vice president Ghulam Hassan Mir said.
The Apni Party will field its leaders even if they are held on non-party basis.
BJP president Ravinder Raina said the party is fully geared to contest the elections for the DDCs which are being held for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir and will form third tier to the Panchayats.
“We have all along been demanding constitution of three-tier system of Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir which was missing. The Central and Union Territory Governments have implemented 73rd Amendment of the Constitution of India in J&K and decided to hold elections to the DDCs. The BJP will contest elections in the entire Union Territory to strengthen democracy at gross-root level in real terms,” Raina said.
Pradesh Congress president GA Mir said if the elections are held on non-party basis the party will ask people to fully participate in them. And if they are held on party-basis, we will take a call immediately, he added.
Mir, however, regretted that the Government didn’t take objections raised by the Congress on record like uneven constituencies. He said some constituencies are based on 60,000 votes and others on just 1500 votes.
“We wanted the administration to raise number of segments in big districts but they didn’t take our suggestions on board. We also objected to reservation roster on some districts but the administration didn’t accept,” Mir said.
BSP vice president Charanjeet Chargotra said the party will participate in the DDC elections.
Nationalist Panthers Party (NPP) leader and former Minister Harshdev Singh said the party hasn’t taken any decision so far on the DDC elections.
“Initially, we were told that only by-elections are being held for Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies. Then, the Government said they are holding elections to the District Development Councils. Let them come up with formal announcement and only then we will announce our decision,” Harshdev said.
It may be mentioned here that the Government proposed to hold elections to 280 Territorial Constituencies in 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Each district will have 14 Territorial segments and 14 elected members will elect the chairperson and vice chairpersons from among themselves.
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