Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbuba Mufti and Omar Abdullah have accused the central BJP government of “deliberately postponing” urban local body and panchayat elections. The tenure of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is due to end this year.
National Conference Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sakçhave doubts about BJP’s intentions. I am worried that the BJP will make some mistakes even before the dates are indicated. Knowing that Uddhav Thackeray would win, he said, “Don’t be surprised if the panchayat and urban local body elections are delayed in Jammu and Kashmir, just like the BJP did in Mumbai.”
BJP is in no mood to hold elections as they know that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will be punished by voting. In the valley state now percent.
The real reason for the delay is that 80 percent of people don’t like BJP. BJP does not want to face people’s anger. The BJP leadership is inculcating its restricted hate-mongering agenda in the minds of the people due to its anti-people policies and failure on all fronts in the last nine years,” said Omar Abdullah.
PDP president Mehbuba Mufti has contradicted BJP’s stance on holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir. After the saffron government abrogated Article 370 in the Supreme Court, the situation has improved and people say they are happy. At the same time, the government is now saying that the security situation in the Valley is not good and elections cannot be held,” he said, lashing out at the Centre.
The two leaders made the statements two days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah met BJP leaders from Jammu and Kashmir in New Delhi.
Several BJP leaders had recently hinted at delaying the urban local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of threats by militants to attack voters. According to media reports, Amit Shah directed local leaders to focus on the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for 2024.
The five-year tenure of the urban local bodies will end in November this year. The term of Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Jammu Municipal Corporation is also ending in November. Panchayat elections in the Union Territory are scheduled to be held in November-October.
