Jammu and Kashmir Congress party Tuesday welcomed the Srinagar mayoral election results but was quick to allege that the state administration was “used” and “some councilors were intimidated to elect foreign-educated boy as mayor.”
“We welcome the mayoral election results. Winning and losing is part of democracy,” state Congress president Ghulam Ahmad Mir told reporters after the election results were announced.
Mir however alleged that the state administration and New Delhi “worked together to tamper with the mayoral election results.”
“Governor sahib 15 days ago said that National Conference and PDP are regretting why they did not participate (in the ULB polls) and that as per his information Srinagar is getting a new mayor who is a foreign-educated young person,” Mir said.
“They used all powers and administration to make foreign educated boy the mayor,” he alleged.
He said the Governor had already announced the results after remarking that a foreign-educated candidate will be the mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation.
“When things were already decided, there was no need of counting,” he said. “Governor Sahib has decided everything at his home. We have lost faith in these elections.”
Mir alleged that many councilors were “intimidated.”
“Even a husband and wife were kept captive,” he alleged, adding that one of councilors was “whisked away from Srinagar international airport.”
Mir alleged that these elections were “not conducted in the true spirit of democracy.”
“Elections were yet to be conducted (and) the Governor names a particular person for a particular post. This suggests that elections were managed,” he said.
Mir said the deputy mayor Sheikh Imran is not from Congress. “Like-minded independent people suggested his name and our candidates voted for him,” he said.