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| BJP now asking polls for Jammu, Ladakh only | | After PDP showed dominance | | Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
srinagar, Feb 11: As the PDP showed reluctance to hold Panchayat polls in the state, the BJP is now asking for elections in Jammu and Ladakh only.
This is in view of the reluctance to BJP demand of holding Panchayat polls was across the state was rejected.
Government had announced that Panchayat elections would be held from February 15. However, the government and other political parties except the BJP said that situation was not conducive for the polls. "Although BJP is part of the government still there seems dominance of only one ruling party," a BJP leader, said.
He said that there was mounting pressure on the BJP leadership that polls should be across the state. "Deferring polls indicates that government has succumbed to separatists and militant threats," the BJP leader said.
He said many of the BJP leaders want that polls should be held in Jammu and Ladakh region. "If situation is not condusive for polls in Kashmir but why not hold elections in Jammu and Ladakh," the BJP leader said.
"Why should Jammu and Ladakh suffer because of un-condusive situation in the valley? The government wants elections should be conducted in all three regions. This means the polls won't be held in Jammu and Ladakh regions till normalcy prevails in Kashmir," a senior official said.
The state is losing huge Centre funding due to non-holding of Panchayat polls. "J&K will lose over Rs 4000 crore between 2015-2020, if Panchayat polls do not take place," sources said.
The Centre wrote a letter last year to JK Government that state would lose Rs 2,000 crore in the current fiscal due to non-holding of Panchayat polls, and poor utilisation of funds, sources said.
These funds according to official sources are part of various sponsored schemes.
Sources said that if the polls are held in Jammu and Ladakh, these two regions would get the centre's share. "Jammu and Ladakh could get atleast the Centre's share if Panchayat polls are held in these two regions," an official of the State Election Commission, said. "We can't take any decision on own and are dependent on state government about poll timings," he added.
The Panchayats completed their term in July 2016. Elections to Panchayats were last held in April-May 2011 during Omar Abdullah led National Conference-Congress regime after a gap of 37 years. The government postponed these polls for several times in the last few years.
In south Kashmir, sources said that militants threatened many political workers who were interested in participating Panchayat polls. "The workers are being threatened to ensure that people do not participate in elections," a political worker of the PDP, said. He said that militants also threatened Panchayat members during the previous elections. Following which several Panchayat members were killed." |
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