SEC announces date despite NC, PDP call to stay away from elections & terrorists, separatists’ threats
Despite the decision of the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), two main pro-election political parties in Jammu & Kashmir, to stay away from the poll process, the State Election Commission on Saturday announced a four-phased schedule for the crucial municipal elections, starting October 8.
The announcement for the conduct of the urban bodies’ polls comes also against the backdrop of separatists’ call for boycott and terrorists’ direct threat to the prospective candidates and campaigners.
The first notification for the urban local body polls would be issued on September 18 and the voting in the first phase would be held on October 8 from 7 am to 2 pm.
Addressing a Press conference, Chief Electoral Officer Shaleen Kabra said the polls would be held in four phases on October 8, 10, 13 and 16 this year. “The notifications for phase 2, 3 and 4 will be issued on September 20, 22 and 24 respectively,” said Kabra, adding that 17 lakh voters were registered for the polls.
“The counting of votes would take place on October 20,” he said.
The NC and the PDP have decided to stay away from the municipal and panchayat polls citing the linkage of the electoral exercise with a series of litigations in the Supreme Court challenging the special status of J&K under the provisions of Article 35A. The Governor administration on August 31 sought postponement of the hearing of the litigations in the apex court in the wake of proposed local body and panchayat elections. The court later deferred the hearing till January next year.
The NC was the first regional party in the State that announced to stay away from the elections though the party avoided calling for a boycott or launching any campaign for it.
The PDP followed suit and announced its inability to take part in the elections.
Several other political groups with influence in specific pockets, including the CPI(M) and the Peoples’ Democratic Front, also chose to stay away from the polls.
The Congress remained indecisive on its stance to contest the elections while the BJP and several Jammu-based parties have not resisted the poll schedule.
Despite the NC and the PDP’s decision to stay away, the Governor administration firmly adhered to its plan to hold the elections.
Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti recently said the party will not participate in the elections as the prevailing situation in Kashmir was not favourable. She said the party will not contest the election till the Government takes positive steps to safeguard the special status of Jammu & Kashmir.
Mehbooba had appealed the State Government to defer the polls till things get clear on Article 35A. She had appealed the Centre and the State Governments to clear doubts of people related to the apprehensions in relation to petitions seeking abrogation of Article 35A & Article 370.
The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), an amalgam of separatist political parties, comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik has called for boycott of these elections in the State. The JRL in a recent statement described the participants of the polls as “collaborators of the Indian Union” and urged upon the people to boycott the upcoming municipal elections with the spirit of denying recognition to the NC, the PDP and other mainstream political parties.
A prominent terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen has already issued threat to punish by sprinkling sulphuric and hydrochloric acid on all the contestants and the voters.
Earlier, on September 1, the State Administrative Council under chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik set the tentative schedule for the conduct of these polls. The panchayat polls are likely to be held in November in 8 phases.