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| Poll dates likely next week | | EC firms up opinion, to take call after Eid | | HAMAAD SALIF
JAMMU, Sept 23: Keen to avoid adverse “political advertisement” at international level, the Center government is considering the prospects of holding timely assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir even though all political parties save BJP have put their foot down.
Political sources said that though the state unit of Congress too is not in favour of holding elections in November-December but the Congress led United Progressive Alliance Government is not in any mood to delay the polls. “Holding elections in time with lower percentage is not being considered as bad as delaying them for six months”, pointed out a source who had a specific input from New Delhi.
It is reliably learnt that the Election Commission of India will take a final call on the issue after the month of Ramzan is over –first week of October. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has left on US, tour is reported to have strongly favoured early elections.
Political observers believe that Dr Singh’s meeting with Pakistan President Aasif Ali Zardari and expected announcement of fresh Confidence Building Measures including Cross-LoC trade is likely further instill confidence in Kashmir and brighten the prospects of better poll participation.
In an attempt to gather a first-hand assessment of the situation prevailing in the state, the government had despatched its emissary, minister of state in the PMO, Prithviraj Chavan to Srinagar over the weekend.
Mr Chavan, during the course of his visit, is learnt to have met governor N N Vohra and senior administrative officials to discuss feasibility of holding early elections.
The impression that he came back with was that the political cost of holding elections on time far outweighed putting them on hold to allow normalcy to return, something which has been favoured by both the National Conference and PDP, the two regional outfits who are fighting for supremacy in the Valley.
NSA M K Narayanan, who had undertaken a visit to the state last month in an effort to devise ways to resolve the Amarnath land transfer row, has already gone on record with his advocacy of early elections, arguing that the resumption of democratic processes was essential to assuage the feelings of the people, both in the Valley and Jammu.
The Centre, while finalising its stance on the issue, has obviously factored in the reports of Mr Narayanan and Mr Chavan. There are enough indications to suggest that the government was gearing up for early polls, even if it meant inviting a low turn-out in parts of the Valley.
Stalling the electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir, it reckons, would be a bad advertisement for the country internationally. The home ministry, on its part, has made it clear that deployment of para-military forces would not be a problem at all.
The Election Commission, it is learnt, is waiting for the Ramzan period to be over to take a call on the issue. The all-party meeting convened by it on September 8 had seen the NC and PDP rooting for delaying the elections till peace and calm was restored in the state.
The BJP, which is hoping to making rapid electoral strides in the Jammu region riding on its position on the Amarnath land transfer controversy, had demanded early elections, while the Congress, the other major player in the state, said it would go along with whatever the poll panel eventually decided. |
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