With less than 10 days to go for the first phase of polling of the District Development Council (DDC) polls beginning November 28, the sound and fury of the electioneering is missing on ground zero, especially in Kashmir valley.
Absence of a level playing field is preventing candidates belonging to the opposition parties from freely contesting maiden elections after the Abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A.
Allegations have already surfaced from different quarters where candidates, accommodated in secured zones to ensure their safety and security, have been barred from campaigning freely.
The contesting candidates, who are facing these security restrictions, have already apprised their party high command to take up the issue with the concerned authorities in the administration and seek redressal for the same from the office of state election commissioner.
Speaking to The Pioneer over telephone from Srinagar, National Conference Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani said, “ the candidates have not been treated at par for a variety of reasons”. “On one hand the BJP candidates and their junior-level workers are provided individual personal security and bulletproof vehicles, while all others are accommodated in government accommodations”. He further said the candidates have been permitted to organise their campaign meetings between 12.00 to 3.00 p.m. Election campaigns are not organised like this, he added.
He said, if the government machinery was not prepared to hold free and fair polls, why penalise candidates.Wani told The Pioneer,at many places candidates have not been allowed to venture out before noon. In some of the cases they are told to wind up their campaign meetings before 4 p.m.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir range, Vijay Kumar said providing security to each candidate contesting the polls is difficult. “We are providing them collective security and they are being put up in secure areas,” he said.Rayees Mattoo, a NC candidate of the PAGD from Khag area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district, said he has been put up at a hotel here and candidates of the alliance are not allowed to campaign even while their competitors are freely working in the field.
Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party candidate from Sangrama Shoaib Lone told The Pioneer, “the government is providing security to only those candidates who already figure in the list of protectees”. He said it is not possible for the security establishment to extend exclusive cover to each and every candidate. Referring to the peoples participation in the DDC polls Lone said, so far people are supporting and attending campaign meetings. “I am praying no untoward incident should happen to dampen the voter's spirit in the run up to the polling day”.
A senior PDP leader said, having a level playing field is the essence of democracy but every effort is being made to stop the contesting candidates of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration from campaigning by hounding and caging them in the name of security. Is this how democracy is redefined in naya Kashmir.
In contrast to this the election scene is hotting up in Jammu region ahead of the first phase of polling.The BJP is running an aggressive campaign to ensure victory for the majority of its candidates.The party leadership supervising the poll preparations are relying on the charisma of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to woo the voters.
Congress party is the enemy number 1 of BJP and the entire campaign is designed to corner the grand old party and question its double standards over joining hands with the Kashmir based Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration.On its part, the local congress leaders are leaving no stone unturned to expose the divisive politics of the BJP.
Lashing out at the BJP Govt, JKPCC President said people have realized as to what BJP has done since it assumed power at Centre and erstwhile J&K State and how it pushed people of J&K to wall for electoral gains.
Addressing a gathering of party workers in Verinag, G.A.Mir assured that Congress Party will continue to work for the wellbeing of the people, despite the concocted and false propaganda unleashed by the BJP against the Party (Congress).