Mainstream political parties in Jammu Friday pitched for holding the state assembly elections “as soon as possible”, even as the state administration seems to be averse to the idea “for a host of reasons”.
In their separate meetings with three “special observers”appointed by the election commission of India (ECI) to “assess the groundsituation” for holding the assembly polls in the state, the political partiesin Jammu reiterated the demand for holding the elections without any furtherdelay. The same stance has been taken by political parties in Kashmir.
The observers including former IAS officers Vinod Zutshi andNoor Muhammad and former IPS officer AS Gill reached Jammu this afternoon tointeract with political parties and officials from the civil and policeadministrations.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, senior Congress leader MullaRam, who was part of the party delegation which met the observers, said theydemanded immediate elections.
“We told the panel that delaying assembly elections willboost the morale of anti-national forces,” he said.
There is no justification for delaying the polls especiallyafter the state held the panchayat and urban local body elections recently, hesaid.
“There can be political motives behind the decision of notholding the assembly polls alongside the Lok Sabha elections,” he said.
Another Congress leader Raman Bhalla said they have “nohope” on the team of observers.
“Irrespective of political affiliations, everybody in onevoice advocated for simultaneous elections, but in Delhi they (ECI) took adecision under some pressure and deprived the people of J&K of their democraticright to elect their own government,” Bhalla alleged.
The J&K BJP said they are also in favour of earlyelections.
“There is no change in our viewpoint. We have favouredsimultaneous Lok Sabha-Assembly polls,” BJP’s general secretary (organisation)Ashok Koul told Greater Kashmir.
Narinder Singh, a BJP leader, said the timing of electionsshould be convenient to all voters.
“The commission should frame the schedule of electionskeeping in view the amarnath yatra, Eid, and movement of nomads towards upperreaches, to ensure maximum participation of people in the polls,” he said.
The Panthers Party also demanded that elections should beheld without any further delay.
“We told the observers that the ECI is an independentinstitution and it shouldn’t come under any influence. It should respect thesentiments of political parties of the state,” PP leader Harshdev Singh said.
He said there is no justification for delaying the polls.
“If the atmosphere is conducive for the parliamentary polls,why it is not conducive for the assembly elections?” he asked.
Later, the ECI observers interacted with district electionofficers, police chiefs of districts and divisional commissioner Jammu via avideo-conference.
Meanwhile, a source told Greater Kashmir that the stateadministration seems to be “disinclined” to holding the assembly electionsimmediately.
“Many deputy commissioners of Kashmir province yesterdaytold the special observers that June is not the feasible time for holding theelections,” the source said, adding that they cited preparations for Amarnathyatra, peak tourist season, horticultural activity and academic calendar.
The Amarnth Yatra begins on July 1.
The source also disclosed that the police are also not infavour of holding the assembly polls before September.
According to another source, the ECI-led panel wouldSaturday meet chief secretary BVR Subhrahmanyam and director general of policeDilbag Singh before leaving for New Delhi.
“They (observers) would soon give feedback to ECI which willthen take the final decision,” the source said.
There is a possibility that the ECI would soon make anyannouncement on state polls, without announcing the exact schedule.
“The polls would be held either in June or October-November,” the source said
YOGESH SAGOTRA