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Decision to hold BDC poll on party basis draws flak

JAMMU: The decision of the Election Authority to hold first-ever Block Development Councils (BDCs) polls in Jammu and Kashmir on party basis has evoked sharp criticism from stakeholders and opposition parties, who accused the ruling BJP at the Centre of “politicising” the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

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Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 26

The decision of the Election Authority to hold first-ever Block Development Councils (BDCs) polls in Jammu and Kashmir on party basis has evoked sharp criticism from stakeholders and opposition parties, who accused the ruling BJP at the Centre of “politicising” the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

While elected panchayat members said “the BDCs polls should be kept away from politics”, opposition parties described the move as “mockery”, saying “holding elections to BDCs on party basis is beyond comprehension when leaders of all parties, minus the BJP, are under detention”.

On Wednesday night, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), J&K, had notified the list of reserved symbols to be used by seven recognised national and three state parties during conduct of election of chairperson of BDCs which form second-tier of PRIs.

“We have repeatedly been saying that the PRIs are not political identities but the community institutions and it should be kept away from politics. It is unfortunate that the government has decided to hold BDCs polls on party basis. It is not acceptable to us,” said Shafiq Mir, chairman of All Jammu Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC).

“We will appeal all our panchayat members to field Independent candidates and vote in their favour as any vote in favour of any political party will breach the trust of voters,” Mir added.

The panchayat elections in J&K were held on non-party basis in October last year. The National Conference and the PDP had boycotted these elections.

The Congress has questioned the decision of holding BDCs polls on party basis at a time when the leaders of all political parties, except the BJP, had been detained after the abrogation of Article 370.

“In such a scenario when all political parties, except the BJP, have been barred from political activities and their leaders are under detention, the decision to hold BDC polls is questionable. The Congress has always remained in favour of holding polls to strengthen democracy at the grass-roots level, but the decision has been taken unilaterally without consulting other political parties,” Ravinder Sharma, J&K Congress chief spokesperson, said.

Harsh Dev Singh, chairman, J&K Panthers Party, said, “What kind of party basis elections are they planning for when all political leaders have been detained and they have no right to hold political activity. The administration has also been acting on the dictates of the BJP which has made a mockery of democratic institutions”.

The Election Authority has published the final Electoral College for BDCs polls which are likely to be held in the last week of October. Out of the total 316 BDCs spread over Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions, the elections will be held for 310 Block Development Councils. Only sarpanches and panches will form the Electoral College for the elections to Block Development Council chairpersons.

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