J&K parties welcome delay in rural bypoll

Srinagar: Several Jammu and Kashmir political parties have welcomed the Election Commission’s decision of deferring the by-elections on the 11,639 vacant Panchayat posts which were scheduled to be held in the Union Territory (UT) from March 5.

They, however, said this was the only option left before the government to seek postponement of these elections after the UT’s major political parties, including National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), announced they won’t be participating in the exercise in the prevailing circumstances particularly when their leaderships and hundreds other political workers and activists continue to be incarcerated.

J&K’s home department had in a letter written to the election authorities on Tuesday advised them to consider deferring the conduct of polls based on credible inputs from the law enforcement agencies.

The letter was issued following inputs about threat to the law and order and certain security related problems. J&K’s chief electoral officer Shailender Kumar said the security agencies have been given two to three weeks’ time to address the issues on the basis of which they sought deferment of the Panchayat bypolls.

These parties except BJP had earlier during the day on Tuesday, appealed to the Election Commission of India to create atmosphere conducive to political activities. These parties including NC, PDP, Congress and J&K National Panthers’ Party had expressed concern over holding of polls.