Haryana Congress legislature Party (ClP) leader Kiran Choudhry on Friday alleged a “sinister design in the calculated and deliberate delay” caused by the BJP Government led by Manohar lal in the holding of elections to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and municipal bodies in the State.
“Behind the delay in the holding of elections to PRIs and municipal bodies is the sinister game of rearranging the wards with the ulterior motive of stage-managing the outcome of the elections through its hand-picked officers and sully the fair face of democracy,” said the state’s former Excise and Taxation Minister.
Choudhry said that the State Government had “deliberately” put the condition of educational qualification for the contestants as a part of its design to delay the PRI polls. “But now, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the condition and foiled their game plan,” she said.
“The Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, made it obligatory on the State Government to issue notification for holding elections to gram panchayats, block samitis and zila parishads at least 15 days prior to the expiry of the term of the incumbent bodies. Their term expired long ago but the Khattar Government has failed to act,” said Choudhry.
She said that this serves democracy a body blow and tears apart the BJP claims of adherence to democratic norms. “The State Government can’t deprive the rural and urban people of their fundamental right to elect representatives to gram panchayats and municipal bodies,” she said adding that it is high time the Khattar Government stopped depriving the people of their democratic rights.