Congress candidates for the three northern Kashmir districts—Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara—on Monday got nomination forms for urban local bodies elections even as a senior party leader accused BJP of “creating fear psychosis”.
“Our candidates got nomination forms. They will be submitting the filled forms in a day or two,” JKPCC vice-president Ghulam Nabi Monga said.
Monga accused BJP of creating fear psychosis among the people.
“They are intimidating the people. But we won’t be cowed down by their tactics,” he said.
Monga said that for now the Congress is not concentrating on volatile southern Kashmir but northern Kashmir where elections will be held in the first of the four phases.
“BJP-PDP coalition government has weakened panchayati raj system in the state. We have asked our workers to expose the failure of the dispensation,” he said, adding that a series of programmes will be organised at booth level so “that the party’s message reaches all”.
“Due to the weakening of panchayati raj system the people have been deprived of basic rights and benefits of various schemes,” he said.
Monga said the panchayat elections were a trailer for next year’s parliament elections.
“Hence we should have to try our best to emerge victorious in these elections. We should leave no stone unturned to highlight the problems of the people of different sections and expose the government’s hollow propaganda of development,” he said. Monga said the elections were an “opportunity to stop communal forces in Kashmir”.
“If we can’t stop RSS-BJP at this juncture, it means we are shying away from our responsibility. But we won’t do that as we are answerable to the people,” he said.