Srinagar, Mar 29: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Wednesday said that the further delay in holding assembly elections in J&K is unfortunate and puts a big question mark on the role of Election Commission of India.
Reacting to the Chief Election Commissioner’s acknowledgement of a vacuum in J&K that needs to be filled, JKNC State Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar Kulgam said, “We have a person no less than Chief Election Commissioner himself acknowledging the ‘current vacuum’ in J&K. Still the concerned agency seems to be in no hurry to conduct elections, on the contrary they manage to find new excuses to delay polls. It’s obvious that it is the BJP’s J&K unit which is drawing back in fear of facing the people as they are not brave enough to face voters. Clearly they have failed to mitigate peoples’ sufferings.”
He said that it was expected of the election commission to announce assembly elections in J&K with the Karnataka elections. “To our surprise and dismay ECI once again skipped J&K from its scheme of things. It seems as if people of J&K have been relegated to deep abyss and forgotten,” he said adding, “There seems to be no reason in further delaying the Assembly elections as the weather is also getting pleasant and suitable for conducting any electoral exercise. They have only two reasons for delaying the polls further – one could be the worsening security situation which they claim has improved- and the second being ECI giving a cover to BJP who are afraid to face the voters.”
It’s been almost four and a half years since J&K had an elected government, Imran said adding, “If the elections can be held in Karnataka, why can’t they happen in J&K? BJP doesn’t give a toss to people’s mounting woes. All it is concerned about is its electoral prospects. They know they will lose badly here because of their dealings.”
