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| People used as pawns on NC-PDP tussle chessboard | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 16: The opposition PDP has accused the state Government of adopting discriminatory attitude towards those constituencies where people elected the non-National Conference candidates to the Assembly in the distribution of funds for development activities and other additionalities. This accusation was levelled against the ruling National Conference by the leader of the opposition in the Assembly, Mehbooba Mufti, on the floor of the House during the question hour.
In fact since Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, holds the portfolio of planning he was supposed to answer Mehbooba's question and supplementaries. Instead of doing it Omar preferred to leave the House to defending the Government's policy. This made the opposition not only suspicious of the Government's intentions but also got a chance to expose the NC's political infirmity.
Well Mehbooba's charge that the Government was releasing additionalities and bigger sums of money for development in favour of those candidates of the National Conference who were defeated in the 2008 Assembly elections is debatable. She has said that those from the PDP and other opposition groups who were elected to the Assembly were receiving a raw deal in terms of release of adequate funds for development activities. Isn't it politically wise to punish those who had voted against the ruling National Conference by depriving the constituencies they belong to of adequate development funds? Or is it morally wrong to reward those who voted in favour of the National Conference and punish those who voted for the PDP?
Those who believe that squeezing constituencies that have elected the opposition members to the Assembly by releasing meager funds for development was morally wrong argue that it is an attempt at punishing not the opposition members of the House but the people. This can prove counterproductive as in the next election the voters may again vote against the NC. The NC leadership possibly believes that once people in constituencies that are represented by the opposition may vote for NC in the next election as they may have become sensible to realise the negative aspect of voting in favour of the PDP.
Yes, people in the constituencies that have elected the NC candidates expect preferential treatment from the ruling party. And if the ruling NC has been liberal in releasing bigger share of funds for development in the constituencies represented by it in the House than those segments that had favoured the opposition PDP it may not be a big irregularity. After all those who voted for the NC deserve a better deal than those who voted against it.
Suppose in the next election the PDP is voted to power imagine the fate of people in those constituencies who voted for the NC candidates. It will be pure discrimination of the pro-NC constituencies in comparison to pro-PDP constituencies. This way people will be made the pawns on the chessboard of keen tussle between the two political foes, the PDP and the National Conference.
If the R&B Minister belongs to the National Conference he may not hesitate in building a massive road network in the constituency that elected him to the Assembly. The Health Minister, belonging to the NC, may ensure that maximum number of hospitals, dispensaries and health centres are opened in the constituency that elected him to the Assembly. This way it will be an endless drama. Hope Omar Abdullah stops it and ensure that his announcements and instructions on equal distribution of funds were implemented in letter and spirit.
Mehbooba has done good service to the people who had voted for the PDP in the previous election but she would have performed a bigger service had she raised the issue of discrimination of people of the Jammu region. |
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