The BJP state president Ravinder Raina on Wednesday said that Jammu and Srinagar will have BJP mayors”. He also said that the party will win 15 municipal committees in the Valley
“This time, lotus will not only bloom in Jammu but in Kashmir Valley as well. BJP will have its mayors in both the capital cities of the state,” Raina said while addressing a press conference along with former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta and other senior leaders at the party headquarters at Trikuta Nagar here. “We will also have our chairmen in at least 15 Municipal Committees (MCs) in the valley”.
He said there are many independent candidates in the valley who are supported by the BJP. “Many among them will also emerge victorious,” he said.
Raina slammed the mainstream parties for boycotting the ULB elections for boycotting polls. “Their ploy to derail and sabotage the local body elections has been foiled by the people who participated in the elections in large numbers,” Raina said.
“Despite the poll boycott calls by Kashmir based political parties, frequent threats by the militants and the bandh calls given by separatists, there was massive turnout in the Urban Local Bodies elections,” Raina said adding that people preferred “development, peace and prosperity”.
He said the mainstream parties, whose leaders remained MPs and even ministers in New Delhi tried their level best to sabotage ULB polls but participation of people exposed them.
The BJP also demanded implementation of 73rd and 74th amendment of Indian constitution in J&K for strengthening democracy at grass roots level.
“We demand from the Governor to implement 73rd and 74th amendment of Indian constitution in J&K in J&K,” Raina said.
He said that 73/74 must be implemented in J&K to enable grass root level development in the state.
Raina also took a jibe on other political parties, saying that while BJP fielded its candidates for almost every seat in the state, other parties struggled to find candidates on most of the seats.
State BJP president Ravinder Raina Wednesday advocated the extension of the 73th and 74th amendment of the Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir, saying it would strengthen the grass-root level institutions and help democracy flourish in the state.
“We request the governor (Satya Pal Malik) to strengthen Panchayati raj system by implementing the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendment to the state,” the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief said.
“The governor is the Constitutional head of the state and through an ordinance can incorporate 73rd and 74th amendment of the constitution in the state. It is in his power and he can do it easily,” Raina told reporters here.
He said it was a must for strengthening grass-root level institutions and democracy in the state and help development as the central funds would be available if the 73rd and 74th amendments are extended to the state.
He appealed people to take part in large numbers in the Panchayati elections which were being held in nine phases in November-December.
He stressed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had fulfilled his promise of holding civic polls in the state.
Asked about the stand of the BJP over the demand for dissolution of state assembly which is presently under suspended animation, he said it was the prerogative of the governor to take a decision on it.
“The governor rule is for six months and if the governor takes a decision to dissolve the assembly, BJP will have no objection and will extend its support,” he said.
Lauding the people and the governor administration for the successful conclusion of the four-phased urban local body elections in a transparent and peaceful manner, he said a lot of conspiracies were hatched to sabotage the democratic exercise.
Claiming that BJP will enjoy landslide victory, Raina said the party fielded nearly 400 candidates in Kashmir valley.
“The membership of the party crossed 3.5 lakh in Kashmir where we got over 50,000 votes in the last assembly elections held in 2014,” he said.
WITH PTI INPUTS