Cong to boycott BDC polls in J&K

JAMMU: The Congress on Wednesday said it will boycott the October 24 block development council (BDC) polls in Jammu and Kashmir, accusing the government of making a mockery of the democracy in the state.

J&K Congress chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir cited the “indifferent” attitude of the state administration and the continued detention of its senior leaders in the wake of the Centre revoking the state’s special status to justify party’s decision to not contest the polls.

The BDC polls will be the first to be held in the state since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5. Despite expressing its reservation on the timing of the polls and the ongoing security situation in the state, the Congress, along with the National Panthers Party, had decided to take part in the BDC election last week.

“The Congress believes in strengthening of democratic institutions and it has never shied away from any polls. But today, we are compelled to take a decision to boycott the BDC polls due to the indifferent attitude of the state administration and the continued detention of senior party leaders in the Valley,” Mir said.

Mir accused the state administration of deliberately creating hurdles for the mainstream political parties in the state in order to facilitate the victory of the ruling BJP in the BDC polls.

Stating that the administration was holding the polls under the state’s Constitution, instead of in accordance with the 73rd amendment of the Constitution, he said, “The three-tier system was introduced by the Congress through an amendment in the state Panchayati Act. The BJP, during its rule, abolished the Act under which, everyone was elected by the electorate.”

“By holding the BDC polls without consulting the mainstream parties, the governor’s administration is fulfilling the goal of the ruling party. They are holding the BDC polls in those blocks where the number of panches is one or three,” Mir said, adding that elections were not held in 12,500 panchayats last year and instead, the BDC polls were being conducted.

NC leader Devender Singh Rana also said the situation was not apt for taking part in BDC polls. “Our senior leaders remain under house arrest or detention. Even if we want to contest the polls, we can’t,” he added.