The Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday said it was hopeful that Governor Satya Pal Malik would convene an all-party meeting on holding of the urban local bodies and panchayat elections in the state.
“(When) in government I had called an all-party meeting to discuss the ULB/panchayat elections and the majority of the parties had opposed holding of elections at that time. We had expected that the Governor too would call an all-party meeting where everyone would put forward their viewpoint, PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said in a series of tweets.
She said the PDP was hopeful that such a meeting would be called and her party would share its opinion with other parties in order to build a consensus on the issue.
“We are still hopeful about that meet and would share our opinion with all parties so that a consensus is built, she added.
Mehbooba’s tweets came a little over an hour after PDP’s arch-rival National Conference announced that it would not participate in these elections in view of the prevailing situation in the Valley caused by the legal challenge to Article 35-A of the Constitution.
The PDP also tweeted that the Centre’s plea in the apex court to link Article 35-A with the panchayat and local bodies elections was a “disastrous” idea.
“The Central government’s plea in the Supreme Court to link the decision on 35A with panchayat and urban bodies elections was a disastrous idea, which has further alienated the people and complicated the situation on the ground,” she said.
Centre’s plea in apex court ‘disastrous’
The Central government’s plea in the Supreme Court to link the decision on 35A with panchayat and urban bodies elections was a disastrous idea, which has further alienated the people and complicated the situation on the ground — Mehbooba Mufti, Former CM
NC must rethink boycott: BJP
Reacting to the decision of the National Conference to boycott the urban local bodies and panchayat elections, state president of the BJP Ravinder Raina said his party would contest the elections in all three regions of J&K. “To democratise these grass-roots level institutions through elections is a must to strengthen democracy in the state,” Raina observed, adding that “those who are running away or shying away from elections, should rethink the decision”.
