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| How insecure MLAs, Ministers of Coalition sabotaged democracy in J&K! | | | Abodh Sharma
Jammu, Dec 1: As Coalition Government enters the sixth and the final year of its term, Omar led government shall be remembered for depriving the people of the state of fruits of democracy at the grass root level.
Even though Omar counts conduct of Panchayat elections as the biggest achievement of his government, it shall be remembered for its failure to delegate powers to elected Panchayats and withholding elections to the Urban Local Bodies for years rather than holding the Panchayat elections.
Sources in the political circles state that while Omar has categorically accused Congress Ministers of sabotaging empowerment of Panchayats and robbing Urban Local Bodies of their representative character, the fact is that the insecure MLAs and Ministers of both the coalition partners have systematically eroded the sanctity of these institutions of Democracy.
Sources also divulge that the MLAs of both NC and Congress have been insecure about emergence of a new political leadership at the grass root level which has the potential of challenging their political hegemony and hence in order to block their resurgence, these MLAs collectively conspired to erode these institutions and block percolation of democracy at the grass root level and secure their political future.
While Panchayat elections in the state were held on non party basis, most of the elected panchs and sarpanchs were roped in by political parties anticipating their political efficacy. Similarly, Urban Local Body elections which were conducted on party basis, catapulted several leaders to the political centre stage, giving insecurity to the Ministers and MLAs of their political investments in respective constituencies.
In Jammu cantonment Assembly segment alone, several leaders emerged from the Jammu Municipal Corporation and have been threatening the monopoly of the sitting MLA and Minister representing this constituency. Manmohan Singh, the former Mayor of the JMC and Jai Singh, the former corporator, both affiliated to Congress as the sitting MLA, have garnered substantial political support, enough to challenge the 'undisputed claim' of the sitting MLA on the constituency.
It merits a mention here that elections to the ULBs were held in Jammu and Kashmir after a span of 23 years in January 2005. The Local Bodies elections have been due since 2010 and so far government has made several announcements to conduct the elections. The cost of this political conspiracy has been high and people of the state have been worst sufferers as Central Government withheld crores of rupees under various urban development schemes to be implemented through these elected government units. |
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