Udhampur, Jan 30: Former Minister and Chairman AAP J&K Monday said the restoration of democratic government in J&K seemed to be the last priority of the central government and Election Commission of India (ECI).
Addressing public meetings in villages Tandhar and Mandal of Chenani constituency, Singh said ECI focussed on holding elections in nine states of the country besides conducting bye-Elections in several other states this year leaving JK without polls. “All discussions on restoration of democracy ultimately culminate in the so-called successful conduct of Panchayat and Municipal polls”.
He said the concept of democracy in BJP rule has been reduced to local body polls with no sincere effort having been made to install an elected govt in J&K.
He said that local bodies of the UT needed to be given ample time to complete their term and any arbitrary decision to pre-maturely end their term and pre-pone their elections would be fought tooth and nail.
Singh said that with the ECI now concentrating on holding Elections in various other states of the country as per the schedule.
The erstwhile state of J&K deprived of democratic government for the last more than 4 years did not appear to be finding the desired attention of either the poll bodies or the centre, said AAP leader.
He said that while delimitation of DDC constituencies in J&K was effected within two weeks by the present dispensation in 2020 and the said elections conducted immediately thereafter so as to constitute the District local bodies, the helmsmen had maintained a studied silence over the much delayed polls for the top legislative body of the UT.
The former minister said that with Assembly Elections delayed and denied, political process having been rendered defunct in J&K and political parties discredited and discouraged, the centre seemed hell-bent to deprive J&K of a democratically elected govt.
