Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Feb, 24
“With national and international pressure mounting on the BJP govt to restore peoples’ govt in J&K, the present dispensation seemed to be deflecting the blame to opposition parties for the inexplicable delay in restoration of popular rule in the erstwhile state. The central BJP leadership had all along taken the stand that elections would be held after delimitation of Assembly constituencies and removal of regional imbalances in the allocation of Assembly seats. It had however failed to show any seriousness over the issue except verbal assurances.
The fact remains that constitution of Delimitation Commission for fresh delimiting of Assembly constituencies was the major poll plank of BJP duly reflected in its election manifesto released in 2014. It however preferred to remain silent over the issue for six long years with the formation of the commission having been announced only in March 2020.
And despite the announcement of the said commission, there was hardly any progress achieved during the past around one year except convening of one meeting of Associate members that too at the fag end of the term of the commission which is due to expire on March 6. And strangely, the opposition parties were being blamed for the delay in both, the Delimitation of constituencies as well as holding of Elections”, said Mr. Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP Chairman and former Minister while addressing a press conference in Jammu today.
Asserting that the boycott of one particular political party from the meeting of the commission should not be made an excuse for the much delayed exercise, Mr. Singh said that the process needed to be completed in accordance with the law enunciated on the subject and within the time limit prescribed under the notification. He said that the BJP leadership was deliberately delaying the restoration of popular govt in J&K only to continue its proxy rule in the erstwhile state. It seemed to be averse to the idea of handing over power to the public representatives by holding elections. And that was precisely the reason for delaying the process of delimitation and ultimately the elections, observed Mr. Singh.
Pointing towards the significant ruling of the Supreme Court in a famous case, Mr. Singh said that the Apex court had categorically observed that Assembly elections in all those states where legislature is prematurely dissolved need to be held within a period of six months from the date of such dissolution.
He lamented that the BJP govt was defying not only the ‘obiter-dicta’ and rulings of the top court of the country but was also disrespecting the mandate of the constitution. It had failed to respect even the repeated calls of different recognized political parties for restoration of popular govt in J&K which alone could have proved the panacea for most of the ills afflicting governance in the erstwhile state.
Mr. Rajesh Padgotra, (General Secretary-JKNPP); Mr. Parshotam Parihar, (State Secretary-JKNPP); Mr. Khajoor Singh, (Provincial Vice-President-JKNPP) and Mr. Surinder Chouhan, (District President-Jammu Rural) were also present in the press conference.
