Terming the oath ceremony of elected District Development Council (DDC) members as the dawn of a ‘New Era’ in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP general secretary and in-charge for Kashmir Vibodh Gupta said Shyama Prasad Mookerjee sowed seed of democracy in 1953 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi ripened it in 2020. People voted for Modi’s vision and in favour of abrogation of Articles 370 and 35 A and against the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), Vibodh Gupta said at a press conference organized at party headquarter. He said that in 1953 Mookerjee sowed seeds of complete democracy and integrity of the J&K with the nation which under the leadership of Narendra Modi ripened into a fruit-bearing tree. In reply to a question, he said one can easily conclude that people have voted for BJP which has emerged single largest party in DDC polls in the J&K. He claimed that National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Congress candidates, especially in Jammu region, avoided pictures of Rahul Gandhi, Dr Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti on their campaign posters. The candidates tried to lure voter through personal vows and whispering campaign that they are also Modi followers. Vibodh strongly asserted that “Gupkar Gang” will fail to elect even a single Chairman across all districts of J&K and asked them to accept the verdict of people. He further accused that the previous regimes of NC, PDP and Congress Governments deceived people and never allowed democracy to flourish in the J&K. They blocked the Panchayati Raj and Municipality institutions and never allowed decentralization of power which is the basic tenant of Indian Democracy, he added.
