Kashmir polls

J&K, which is under Governor’s Rule, is tense over apprehensions that Article 35A of the Constitution might be scrapped. The Supreme Court is hearing petitions on Article 35A, which empowers the J&K legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and provide special rights and privileges to them. The court has put off the hearings to January after the Centre and the state government argued that it could lead to a law and order situation ahead of the panchayat and local body elections, slated for October-november.

While Omar Abdullah’s NC has said that it would stay away from the polls unless and until the Centre and the state administration “take effective steps for the protection of Article 35A in and outside the Courts”, the BJP has decided to participate in the elections. The Congress leadership is expected to meet on Tuesday to take a call on the issue.

BJP spokesperson, Altaf Thakur, said that both the PDP and the NC were running away from the elections, which are meant to strengthen democracy. “These elections are being held to improve the basic facilities which people need in towns and villages. Unfortunately, both these big mainstream political parties are playing politics over these elections.’’

“Despite the boycott, people will participate in these elections and other parties will participate,” he added.

Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress president Ghulam Ahmad Mir said, “We have called a meeting of our leaders tomorrow...we will seek feedback from our district leaders about these elections.’’

Shafiq Mir, the chairman of All J&K Panchayat Conference, said that the decision of the PDP and the NC — the two main regional parties in the state — will have an impact on the credibility of the elections. “Let the government issue the notification. Then only we will clear our stand on whether we will be part of the election process.”

Mir said that his forum, an organisation of former panchayat members, had recently held a meeting with the governor and requested him to conduct the elections after the situation on the ground improves.

J&K chief secretary BVR Subramanian told reporters in south Kashmir that the notification for elections to urban local bodies and panchayats will be released by the chief electoral officer (CEO) in the coming days. “(The) Decision was taken in July. The voter list has already been finalised. In the coming days, the CEO will be issuing the notifications, first for urban local body polls and then for the panchayat elec- tions.”

A central security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the initial plan was to issue the notification for urban local body polls on Monday but it seemed that there might be some delay. Another central security official posted in Srinagar, who too did not wish to be identified, said, “Panchayat polls are fought on non-party lines but political parties do fight elections on their symbols in case of urban local bodies . The decision of the NC and the PDP to boycott local body elections in J&K may be cause for concern but it is not a huge setback to the whole process.” years. We want the judgment to be implemented at the earliest,” said G Vasantha, mother of 34-year old G Sadashiva Reddy, who sustained multiple injuries in the explosion at Gokul Chat Bhandar. Reddy was paralysed in the attack. Joshi Narasimha Sharma, whose 20-year-old daughter Pratyusha was killed in the attacks, said she was “happy that at least some justice was done to us after 11 years.”

“The other culprits who are absconding should also be brought to book and given the death sentence,” said R Chander Naik (30), who was also affected in the blasts.