DPN, BSP also boycott civic elections

Tribune News Service

Srinagar/Jammu, September 20

The Democratic Party Nationalist (DPN) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)on Thursday decided to boycott the civic elections.

The DPN, led by senior politician and former minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, took the decision to boycott the elections during its executive body meeting wherein the members showed an unwillingness to go to the people after the Central government linked the poll with Article 35A, which provides special citizenship rights to the residents of J&K.

“The participation in the elections would be welcome but the deferment of the case in the Supreme Court on the pretext of the upcoming elections on the request of the government has raised doubts about the intention of the Centre vis-a-vis Article 35A,” said Mir.

Mir said the party believed in the grass-roots democracy and was committed to the empowerment of people. “The people look at these elections with suspicion. In view of this, our party has decided not to participate in these,” Mir said.

Besides two major political parties — NC and PDP, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Peoples Democratic Front have also decided to boycott the elections.

In Jammu, the BSP on Thursday announced that it will not take part in the urban local bodies elections.

Talking to mediapersons in Jammu, state BSP president SR Majotra said, “The Central government is ignoring the sentiments of the people of the state by conducting municipal elections.”

“The atmosphere in the state is not conducive to hold the elections. If militants can strike in the Jammu region then how can the government hold elections in this scenario,” Majotra added.