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| Lal Chowk show may cast doom on polls dates | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Oct 1: One of the factors for Election Commission of India to hold back assembly election schedule in Jammu and Kashmir, the month of Ramadan is over and now the wait is for separatists’ “Lal Chowk call” to set the tone for future course of action.
Schedule for assembly elections by this time should have been announced but the separatist upsurge in Kashmir and the month of Ramadan so far kept the election commission waiting for “right time”. Observers believe that whether elections are being held or not.
Even though there was considerable ebbing over past two weeks but the the overall atmosphere in the Kashmir valley does not seem to be conducive yet for political parties to start their pre-poll campaign because the programme on peaceful agitation is to continue again from October 6 the day the coordination committee has given a call for Lal Chowk Chalo.
Contrary to this it is peace in the Jammu region where people are awaiting the announcement of the poll schedule so that they could get a chance for exercising their right of franchise. At present the opinion is divided on the fixing of the poll schedule. Those who favour postponement of the election argue that free, air and proper polling needed congenial atmosphere.” It is better to wait than take hasty steps which could result in poor polling percentage and escalation in the level of militancy related violence,” say a couple of senior PDP leaders.
However, senior Congress leaders were of the firm opinion that the poll schedule was likely to be announced anytime after October 6.They said "during our discussion with the state authorities and with central party leaders we were told that the arrangements had been finalised for the polling,which was to be held in four phases and the Congress high command besides the UPA Government does not want to postpone the election till next year which could create an impression that the Government had surrendered before the separatists."
These senior Congress leaders said that if the polling was to start towards the end of November it would provide the mandatory 45-day period for pre-poll campaign. |
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