Fearing adverse election results ahead of the 2014 Assembly polls, Omar Abdullah-led alliance Government has almost made up its mind to further postpone the much-awaited urban local bodies (UlB) poll in the State.
The polls are awaited in the State since March 2010.
Formally, the State Government is shying away from taking a final call on the schedule of the UlB polls despite the fact that the Urban Development Department had already submitted a memo to the Cabinet two months ago listing out its state of preparedness to hold polls anytime in May 2013.
In the last two months more than six State Cabinet meetings were convened but not even once the schedule of UlB polls were discussed.
On Thursday when National Conference president and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah was asked about the delay caused in holding of UlB polls he gave a crisp response to the media queries.
“It is better you pose this question to Omar,” Dr Abdullah said, adding “we wanted that the ongoing tourist season should not be disturbed. Once the tourist season is over the polls can happen any time”. Till date, Omar himself has avoided commenting on the schedule of the UlB polls.
The tourist season in the State roughly extends up to August till the culmination of Amarnath Yatra. This year, the yatra calendar is extended up to August 21 2013.
Selective killing of sarpanches and panches especially in Kashmir valley weighed heavy on the minds of people at the helm and they were not ready to underestimate the threat posed by militant outfits to the newly-elected members of the municipalities in the election year.
Interestingly, adopting a tough posture against undue delay in holding UlB polls the State PCC chief Saif Ud Din Soz had first set a deadline of May 31 and later he agreed to stretch it further by June-end.
In between the meetings of the coordination panel chaired by Siaf Ud Din Soz also remained inconclusive as the alliance partners failed to evolve a consensus over the issue.
Highly-placed sources maintained that the National Conference leadership was not keen on holding UlB polls ahead of Assembly polls keeping in mind the adverse election results due to increasing disconnect with the masses on ground zero.
Political observers say the National Conference was only buying time all these months as they were not in a comfortable position to hold UlB polls. last year the Block Development council polls were also postponed and are yet to be announced.