Category: General News

General News

Bugle sounded for Municipal poll in J&K

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The election department on Tuesday sounded the bugle for the urban local bodies poll by issuing a notification for the conduct of elections to 422 municipal wards to be held in the first phase on October 8. Of the 422 municipal wards, 175 are in the Kashmir division while the remaining 247 are in the Jammu division. There are a total of 79 municipal corporations, councils and committees in J&K. The elections are being held in four phases. “The last date for filing nominations for the elections to 175 municipal…

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Rajnath appeals parties to participate in ULB, Panchayat polls, NC, PDP reject appeal

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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Monday appealed political parties to participate in the forthcoming panchayat and urban local body polls in Jammu and Kashmir, in the wake of the NC and the PDP announcing a boycott of the elections. Singh’s appeal came after the two major regional parties — the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party — announced that they would not take part in the elections as the Centre has not cleared its stand on Article 35A of the Constitution. “I would like to appeal that all the…

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BJP shortlists candidates, NC, PDP term govt decision as ‘Mockery of Democracy’

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While the Congress is still in a dilemma over its participation in the urban local bodies election, the BJP has shortlisted potential candidates for all 79 civic bodies of the state. The list of candidates is likely to be issued within a couple of days. Sources said the BJP state working committee met on Sunday and decided to hold a meeting of party MLAs and district presidents on Monday morning to finalise the candidates. “It was informed in the working committee meeting that the leadership has already scrutinised the panels…

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Municipal elections dates announced for J&K, to be held in 4 phases from October 8

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Jammu and Kashmir municipal elections will be held in 4 phases from October 8-16 and counting will take place on October 20, news agency ANI reported Chief Electoral Officer Shaleen Kabra as saying. According to Kabra, elections will held on October 8, 10, 13 and on 16th while people can cast their votes from 7am to 2pm. Shaleen Kabra said, “Municipal Elections shall be held in 4 phases. Date of polling would be Oct 08, Oct 10, Oct 13 & Oct 16. Counting shall take place on Oct 20 after…

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Congress dithers on poll decision, seeks more clarity from state

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The Congress on Wednesday said the administration should “clear its intention” over conducting the municipal elections while alleging that an announcement had been made just to “test the ground”. The party said the Election Commission should issue a notice first and then it would announce whether to participate or not. “We want to strengthen the democratic process but there is chaos in the administration… we feel the announcement has been made just to test the ground. The administration should clear its intentions, let the Election Commission come up with a…

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Ex-ministers wasted a chance to change J&K’s political discourse, Sangh Parivar ticks off BJP

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Disappointed with the performance of BJP ministers in the previous coalition government headed by Mehbooba Mufti, leaders of the Sangh Parivar on Wednesday regretted that the party leadership in the state had wasted a “historic opportunity” to change J&K’s political discourse. During the 10-hour-long meeting, offshoots of the Sangh Parivar discussed all issues concerning J&K. The leaders had met for to assess the outcome of the coalition experiment in the state for the first time after breaking of the PDP-BJP alliance. Apparently admitting that the party is facing a credibility…

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Why Centre backs panchayat polls despite boycott by NC & PDP?

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The upcoming polls in the strife-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir seemed to have run into rough weather with National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) announcing to boycott the crucial urban body elections and panchayat polls. Both parties have cited protection of Article 35A as the reason for boycotting the polls. BJP general secretary and J&K in-charge of the party Ram Madhav appealed to both NC and PDP to rethink about the panchayat poll boycott, this is unlikely to have any impact on the widely announced decision. Highly…

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Omar Abdullah rules out any Tie-Up with BJP for govt formation in J&K

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National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah Monday ruled out any alliance with the BJP for the formation of government in Jammu and Kashmir. Taking it to the micro-blogging site, Twitter, he wrote, “I understand some old news videos from 2014 are doing the rounds trying to suggest that NC is going to support a BJP lead Govt in J&K. Let me make it very clear – this IS NOT happening. This WILL NOT happen. This is some psy-ops plan designed to unsettle the @JKNC_ cadre.” In the series of…

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Michelle Bachelet UN rights chief urges India, Pak to take meaningful action on Kashmir Issue

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In her opening remarks at the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Bachelet said the people of Kashmir had the same rights to justice and dignity as people all over the world. In her first address to the United Nations Human Rights Council, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Monday praised the Supreme Court for decriminalising same-sex relations between consenting adults but urged India and Pakistan to take meaningful action on addressing issues highlighted in the UN report on human rights violations in Kashmir. This…

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Hold civic poll on non-party basis: Congress urges Governor

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Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president GA Mir on Sunday urged Governor SP Malik to build a consensus on holding the urban and local bodies elections on a non-party basis. “So far there has just been the mere announcement of elections… the Governor should build a consensus on holding municipal elections on a non-party basis just like the panchayat polls were held in the past… political parties can be kept away,” Mir said while addressing a press conference here. However, he reiterated the party stand that elections should…

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