SRINAGAR: In what the authorities have termed as welcome step, the Congress and Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday decided to participate in the upcoming rural and urban bodies’ elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, J&K governor Satya Pal Malik assured the people that these elections are not connected in any manner with Articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution or any other political issue concerning Jammu and Kashmir.
“These elections have nothing to do with Article 35A or Article 370 or any other such issue. These are about strengthening grass root democracy and holistic development of towns and villages,” he said while addressing a conference of deputy commissioners and police chiefs of various districts of the state here in preparation to the polls.
Mr Malik asked the DCs and the SSPs to provide adequate security to the candidates joining the fray.
The Congress which was, so far, reluctant to participate in the panchayat and municipal committees elections being held in different phases from next month said on Wednesday that the decision to join the fray was taken in order to keep the communal forces away.
J&K PCC chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir speaking at a press conference here said, “Our party has decided to participate in these elections. We can’t keep the field open for communal forces. We will fight them and these elections will full vigour.”
Mr Mir had earlier this month after meeting the Governor at the head of a party delegation said that situation particularly in Kashmir Valley was not conducive for holding rural and urban bodies’ elections.
He had also said that the Congress party’s core group at the state-level discussed the issue threadbare and was of the view that these elections were declared in the state without taking into consideration the situation on the ground.
He had asked, “The situation on the ground is known to the entire world and in these circumstances who will take responsibility (of the lives) of those who decide to join the fray”. He had complained that the government both at the Centre and in the State and the election authorities were silent on this vital issue.
