By Auqib Javeed, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar:- On Friday, August 31, the Jammu and Kashmir State Administrative Council (SAC), currently under the Governor’s rule, announced elections for the Municipalities and Panchayats in the state. The announcement, however, did not go down in a state that is in chaos over confusions and controversies over various issues. The extent of the unhappiness can be gauged by the fact that even the two mainstream state parties–PDP and NC–through which New Delhi is ruling the state, have decided to boycott the elections. Even national parties like the Congress have said that the situation is not conducive for elections in the state.
The political parties in the state believe that government of India is keen to abrogate Article 35 (A) of the Indian Constitution and before that, they want to conduct the election in the state under any condition.
Elections for municipal bodies will be conducted in four phases with polling dates between October 1 to 5. Similarly, elections to panchayats will be conducted in eight phases with polling dates between November 8 and December 4.
Many political workers in the state have fled from their homes and are underground after the militants issued a warning to people against participating in the coming election. In a video message on August 28, the Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo said those filing nominations should take along shrouds as well. “And remember, we have brought hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid,” he said. “Be ready for that,” he added.
In a press conference, National Conference leader Dr Farooq Abdullah stated that his party will not participate in these elections unless the Centre takes effective steps for the protection of Article 35-A.
He said the decision of the state administration to hold urban local body polls and panchayat elections were taken in a “hurried manner” and without taking into consideration the prevailing situation “created by the powers that be by unnecessarily fiddling with Article 35-A”.
Days after the National Conference (NC) decided to boycott the elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also announced that it would also “stay away from the electoral exercise at this juncture.”
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said: “The situation created by linking panchayat polls with the case pending in Supreme Court on Article 35A has created apprehension in the minds of the people, who see an assault on the special constitutional position of the state… It was unanimously resolved that the party would stay away from the electoral exercise at this juncture.”
The last panchayat polls in the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir were held in 2011 after a gap of about 37 years. The polls, held for 4,098 sarpanch and 29,402 panch constituencies, had witnessed a record 80% turnout.
There are 47 municipal council and committees in Kashmir division and 37 in Jammu division. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation has 73 wards while as the Jammu Municipal Corporation consists of 71 wards. There are three municipal councils each in Kashmir and Jammu divisions.
Two hundred additional central police companies are being deployed to maintain security during the polls.
Mustafa Kamal, additional general secretary of the National Conference while talking to TwoCircle.net said, “The political parties exist because of the people and right now people are very much against them…we aren’t able to carry out political activities, our workers aren’t safe in their homes. New Delhi is not taking the ground realities into consideration; they have to understand the parties through which they are ruling are becoming irrelevant day by day due to their hostile policies towards people of Kashmir”.
Kamal added that “The gap between New Delhi and Kashmir is widening, they are losing electoral ground in Kashmir”.
“We decided to boycott the election because the Government of India told the Supreme Court to defer the verdict of Article 35 (A) till the elections are done in the state. So people here have apprehensions that after elections GOI may tinker with the Article. We have to respect the sentiments of the people” Tahir Syeed, additional spokesperson of PDP, told TwoCircles.net, adding, “New Delhi has to understand that they are shrinking our space in Kashmir.”
However, with regional parties deciding to boycott, only the BJP said it was gearing up for the elections so far and the chances are getting more and more seats are high in the absence of the main two parties.
“The graph of PDP and NC is going down in the valley and they fear they might lose the election that is why they are making Article 35 (A) an issue right now. But we have decided to contest the elections with full enthusiasm despite militant threats,” said Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP), State Spokesperson Altaf Thakur, adding, “we are fighting elections for Bijli, Sadak and Pani.”