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| Fearing defeat, NC urges EC to defer polls | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Oct 10: So, all the major and smaller political players in the flood-hit and under-attack-from-Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir have opened their cards as far as their stand on the Assembly polls is concerned. The Congress, an alliance partner of the National Conference (NC), like the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the National Panthers Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has urged during its meeting with the visiting election officer in the Election Commission of India to hold the Assembly polls on due dates. In fact, the Congress, like the PDP, the BJP and the BSP, opposed the suggestion that the time was not opportune for holding a real electoral exercise in view of the devastation caused by the recent floods in Jammu and Kashmir. In fact, all the three political parties did acknowledge that the floods caused extensive damage to the life and property in the state, but it would not be proper to delay the Assembly polls. The delay in the Assembly polls could send a wrong signal, as Jammu and Kashmir was a sensitive state was their argument.
That the BJP took a sort of U-turn on the issue could be seen from the fact that the chairman of BJP election campaign committee Nirmal Singh had only four days ago at Srinagar taken on those who were demanding polls on the due dates. He had described the suggestion as a "cruel joke" while talking to reporters after visiting some flood-affected places in Kashmir. The JKNPP stick to its stated position: Elections should be held on due dates but under the Governor's rule. The NC is the only party in the state that on Thursday told the visiting election authorities to postpone the elections for a few months, saying the prevailing situation was just not conducive for any electoral exercise. It argument that the recent floods disturbed everything in the state was valid. According to one estimate, more than two million people suffered one way or the other due to the incessant rains and flood, hundreds of the families were rendered homeless and thousands of people were displaced. There was logic in the argument that holding elections on due dates would mean enforcement of model code of conduct, which would mean hampering of relief and rehabilitation work.
When viewed in this context, the suggestion of the NC appears quite genuine. However, the critics of the NC have something different to say. They say since the NC was mortally afraid of facing the electorate, it urged the EC to postpone the Assembly elections for sometime so that the State Government could rehabilitate all the affected people before it was too late. It is a fact that the NC has over the period become thoroughly unpopular because of its failure to deliver on any front, as also because of the deep-rooted corruption in the state and mal-administration. That it failed to bring on board even its coalition partner further suggests that it has become almost untouchable. It is a different matter that the Congress itself is in deep trouble. That both the coalition partners drew a blank in the just-held Lok Sabha elections was a proof that the people of the state have no faith in any of the two coalition partners and that they are looking for an alternative. It would be only proper to say that it is the fear of humiliating defeat that has left the NC with no other option but to ask the EC to delay the Assembly polls. Let's see what decision the EC ultimately takes. Everything would become clear during the next week because the time at the disposal of the Election Commission is just limited. |
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