Police killings cast shadow on upcoming polls in Kashmir

VALLEY TENSE In last four days, response to calls to file nomination has been very poor SRINAGAR:

The abduction and killing of three policemen in south Kashmir’s Shopian early on Friday have vitiated the already tense atmosphere for the upcoming municipal and panchayat elections in the state.

The killings have prompted a double impact: a wave of fear among local special police officers (SPOs), many of whom took to social media to distance themselves from the police department, and triggered more worry among people who have been associated with the local bodies.

“With each passing day, the atmosphere is turning scary. The incidents of violence are continuing, which is really a matter of concern for us,” said Shafiq Mir, president of All J&K Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), an organization of former panchayat members of the state.

The AJKPC had earlier announced that its members would contest the rural bodies’ polls to be held in November and December amid calls from militants and separatists to boycott the elections.

SPOs Nissar Ahmad, Firdous Ahmad Kuchay and Kuldeep Singh were killed after suspected militants barged into their homes in Shopian and abducted them early on Friday. Hours later, their bodies were recovered nearby.

The polls for 72 municipal committees, six municipal councils and two municipal corporations will start from October 8 while elections to 35,096 panch constituencies will be held in nine phases from November 17. In the last four days, the response to calls to file nomination for the municipal polls has been very poor.

An official of the urban local bodies said the enthusiasm among people for filing nomination for the municipal polls has been missing. “The emerging situation has put an effect on the overall election process and the latest killings of policemen will obviously have an impact. From the government side, preparations are on in full swing,” he said.

The state’s two major political parties, National Conference and Peoples’ Democratic Party, have announced that they will not participate in the elections, citing an “atmosphere of fear” due to the “assault on the special constitutional position (Article 35 A)” of Jammu and Kashmir.

Last month, militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen issued a strong warning to those planning to participate in the polls, asking them to get shrouds along with elections forms. The separatists have asked people to boycott the polls, saying India projects elections in the state as a “referendum in its favour.”

J&K chief election officer Shaleen Kabra said the subdued response to filing nomination was a “usual process”. “In every election, the process starts up slowly. We expect people will participate in these elections as these are meant for local issues. Not only the candidates, but we expect people to come out to vote,” Kabra said.