Reasi/Udhampur: Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), given its claim to win 50 plus seats, Congress Sunday questioned why it (BJP) was shying away from elections.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Vikar Rasool Wani threw this poser while addressing worker conventions at Reasi and Udhampur districts.
He was accompanied by PCC working president Raman Bhalla, Manmohan Singh, Indu Pawar, Dina Nath Bhagat, DCC president Rajesh Sadhotra and DCC president Udhampur K C Bhagat and other senior leaders.
Vikar Rasool asked BJP, “Why is ‘Mission 50 plus’ party now running away from holding ULB and Panchayat elections on time? Why is it finding security reasons and other excuses to defer the ULB polls, which should have been held this month?” “BJP cannot face elections because it fears defeat,” he quipped.
“The administration, including the election authority, had made all preparations and arrangements, including preparations of voter lists, rotation of reserved wards, inviting objections with in four days with further extension of just four days only but suddenly all have gone into hibernation, without even any official deferment of poll exercise,” Vikar Rasool mocked.
“No doubt Congress had raised a very genuine issue about the said exercise, being carried out without the State Election Commission (SEC) for ULBs, which is against the constitutional provisions but there was total silence after a high level review of ruling party in Delhi, recently, where local BJP leadership is stated to have pleaded for deferring these polls,” JKPCC president claimed.
“However, BJP’s defeat is certain, whenever polls are held. Question is for how long the people will remain deprived of elections to ULBs, Panchayats besides assembly elections. One can see only one reason that BJP fears defeat as it will have a negative fall out on Lok Sabha elections,” Vikar added.
Demanding immediate announcements of ULB polls, JKPCC president said that the government and ruling BJP should clarify the situation to the people and political parties, immediately, without any further delay.