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| Panchayat elections: Divided Oppn may make a cake walk for coalition | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Feb 10: Though the main Opposition PDP has not cleared its stand over the issue yet, the announcement of Panchayat elections by the State Government is snowballing into a big controversy with BJP and other parties warning to launch a mass movement against the Government decision of holding the elections without the incorporation of Indian Constitution's 73rd and 74th the amendment.
The PDP according to sources though inwardly favors the incorporation of 73rd and 74th amendments to make the basic democratic institutions in the state more powerful but with NC's game plan to wean out the masses in Kashmir for not incorporating the Indian Constitutional amendments and holding the elections as per the State Act has forced the Party to tread cautiously and not to make any such statement which will give an undue advantage to NC on this issue, sources added.
Sources said that PDP, which is more interested in restoration of democratic character to the civic bodies and Panchayats in the state and towards which a lot of ground work was done during the Mufti Mohammed Syed Government has now chosen to maintain a calm on the issue otherwise the NC will take a wrong advantage of the same.
The Government's decision has put the PDP in a great dilemma as NC has resisted to incorporate the Constitutional amendment to please its constituency in Kashmir and to pay NC in the same coin the PDP leadership has chosen to play safe and avoid to trap itself into any controversy over the issue that may go to its disadvantage, sources added.
However the BJP which took a serious exception to the Government decision on holding the Panchayat elections on non party basis and without incorporation of the Constitutional amendments said this instead of empowerment of the people this will lead to their disempowerment.
The BJP has appealed all the opposition parties to join launch a united struggle against this draconian decision of the State Government instead of election of Panchayats is making nomination to Panchayats. The Party will not only launch the issue on the floor of the Assembly but also outside the Assembly as BJP is accusing the Government decision is only meant to seek Rs 500 crore annually from the Central Government and mis-utilize the same through nominated Panchayat bodies as has been doe in case of crores of rupees granted by Central under the security head.
The Party has also turned tables on Congress for maintaining a stoic silence on the issue though the Party had earlier in its poll manifesto also promised to incorporate the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution in the state.
A Party spokesman said that the Congress is doing this all on the directives of 10 Janpath and instead of strengthening the democratic institutions the Party is more interested in sticking to power.
It may be recalled that the state Unit of Samajwadi Party has already warned the Government against the holding of Panchayat election in the state without incorporation of 73rd and 74th amendments. The Party state chief Sheikh Abdul Rehman has said that such a decision will not be acceptable to the people of the state and they will not allow the manipulation of Panhayat elections.
The National Panthers Party (NPP) has also opposed the decision and accused the Congress for total sell out. A party spokesman said that the ruling coalition has been totally exposed and the Congress has now backtracked from its promise of getting implemented the 73rd and 74th amendment of the Indian Constitution in the state.
The CPI (M) which is an arch rival of BJP has however also opposed the Government decision to hold the elections without incorporation of 73rd and 74th amendment. The Party said that it will strongly press its demand regarding the incorporation of the amendments to make the basic democratic institutions more stronger and powerful. The way state Government is going to conduct these elections reveals that it wants to reduce the democratic institutions at grass root level mere puppets in its hands, said a senior leader of the party.
But the million dollar question is: will the divided opposition join hands to launch a united battle against the Government decision for empowerment of basic democratic institutions in the state or raise its voices only in wilderness. |
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