Majority at all-party meet feels situation not feasible for holding civic polls
The all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Jammu on Sunday failed to arrive at a consensus on holding panchayat polls in February, in the wake of prevalent hostile atmosphere fuelled by six civilian deaths in January.
“The majority of the leaders are for panchayat polls but were of the opinion that the situation was not feasible for holding it [soon] and suggested its deferment,” Rural Development Minister Haq Khan said after the meeting.
Mr. Khan said the Cabinet would consider the views gathered on Sunday and “take a final call.”
The meeting was attended by leaders from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, the National Conference (NC), the BJP, the Congress, the CPI(M), the PDF, the National Panthers Party, the Awami Itihaad Party and the Democratic Party Nationalist.
Ms. Mufti on December 25 last year announced that grassroots elections will be held from February 15. However, six civilian killings during counter-insurgency operation in January cast a shadow on the prospect of holding the polls this month.
‘Heightened tension’
A senior police officer said the death of six civilians in January, of which three died in Army firing on stone-throwers on January 27, has “further heightened tension in volatile areas in south Kashmir.”
“In March last year, we faced a similar situation during the bypolls for Srinagar and Anantnag Lok Sabha polls. Just 11 days before the Srinagar bypoll, three civilians died near encounter in Budgam, impacting the voter turnout,” said the official.
Srinagar witnessed only 7.14% turnout in April last year and eight people were killed in clashes on the day of polls, forcing the authorities to cancel the Anantnag by-polls later.
“The government failed to hold the Anantnag by-polls in time. Instead it announced panchayat polls. We are not against it but the government has to ensure a conducive security situation,” NC leader Ali Muhammad Sagar said.
CPI (M) leader M.Y Tarigami said if the government was sceptic about people’s participation, it “should take serious confidence building measures on the ground. The government has to regain peoples’ trust first.”
Jammu and Kashmir conducted its first panchayat polls in 2001 after four decades. The fresh elections were due in 2016 but the government failed to conduct them due to volatile situation in the wake of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhwan Wani’s killing.
As Ms. Mufti announced fresh dates, separatist leaders called for its boycott.
