Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, June, 07
Alleging large scale irregularities, bunglings, frauds, manipulations and massive rigging in the conduct of DDC polls in District Udhampur, a huge contingent of Panthers Party led by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman-JKNPP and former Minister held a massive demonstration outside the Office of State Election Commissioner J&K at Jammu today. The protestors raising slogans against the State Election authorities and the then District administration Udhampur sought immediate nullification of DDC elections held last year in Udhampur District besides punitive action against the erring officers. “DDC elections ko radh karo, radh karo”, “Bhrasht officers ke khilaf karwai karo, karwai karo”, “BJP ke isharon par nachne wale officers ko suspend karo, suspend karo”.
Speaking to media persons, Mr. Singh maintained that not only were the complaints made by NPP to SEC and District Udhampur authorities during and after the said elections disregarded, but the State Election machinery was seen openly promoting the ruling party candidates and allowing them to brazenly use the administrative paraphernalia in furtherance of their electoral prospects.
He said that aggrieved by the highly apathetic and rather offensive approach of the District Udhampur authorities towards NPP and their pampering of an extremely mollycoddled BJP, the party leadership had decided to legally pursue the matter by firstly moving an RTI application.
The disclosures made in belated reply to the said RTI are sensational and reveal irregularities of grave nature having been committed in the process of the DDC polls thus necessitating nullification of the said elections, asserted Mr. Singh.
Mr. Singh revealed that the reply to RTI application had admitted that there were discrepancies in District Udhampur in the number of votes polled on the day of polling and the votes actually found in the ballot boxes in 12 out of the 14 DDC constituencies of the said District. And while there was no difference between the votes polled and votes found in ballot boxes in all other Districts as per the reply of SEC, it was District Udhampur alone where such discrepancies had been noticed, divulged Mr. Singh. Pertinent to mention that during and after elections, the NPP had raised numerous protests against the Election authorities and District administration for favouring the ruling party besides having facilitated the process of rigging”.
Speaking to media persons, Mr. Singh displayed the 170 page copy of RTI reply by SEC with several other sensational disclosures with regard to conduct of DDC polls in J&K. He revealed that the decision of mixing of votes of various polling stations was taken on 16-12-2020 after the polling process had concluded in majority of the DDC constituencies as revealed in the said reply.
He said that the SEC had admitted that no concurrence or consultation was held with the recognized political parties on the subject and the said decision was taken by SEC by overlooking the past precedents and by changing the prevalent practices and norms unilaterally. The reply has further admitted that a meeting was held by DC Udhampur on 21-12-2020, a day before counting of votes with all Candidates/Election agents of various political parties except those of Panthers Party. The reply has further revealed that the District administration Udhampur had even failed to respond to the complaints and other representations of Panthers Party made during the course of elections. With regard to query raised in the RTI application regarding roofless rooms used for storing ballot boxes, the reply has admitted that the storage of all ballot boxes of various DDC constituencies of District Udhampur was done in several wooden compartments of a multipurpose Hall except those of Chenani, said Mr. Singh.
Mr. Singh asserted that with all such irregularities having been admitted by the SEC in conduct of DDC polls in District Udhampur which remained the centre of controversies even during the said elections, the entire election process gets vitiated and becomes void ab initio.
He further revealed that while reply to the said RTI was being delayed and denied by SEC, it was only after filing the Appeal against the concerned authorities of SEC that the reply was provided on the 60th day of filing of the said application. And still certain points had remained unanswered and information concealed for which the Panthers Party had decided to approach the Chief Information Commissioner of India.
Calling upon the Election Commission to declare the DDC elections of District Udhampur as null and void in view of disclosures made in RTI reply, Mr. Singh said that party would launch massive public awareness campaign against the brazen subversion of democracy and blatant bulldozing of constitutional guarantees in J&K especially in District Udhampur.
He sought strict action against SEC and District Udhampur authorities who facilitated the process of subversion of democracy.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Rajesh Padgotra, Gagan Pratap Singh, Surjeet Singh Jamwal (District President-Udhampur NPP), Vinod Bhagat (Vice President-NPP District Udhampur), Tanantar Singh (Sr. Vice President-NPP District Udhampur), Sunil Manohar Samotra (Youth Vice President-NPP District Udhampur), Rampaul Bhagat (SC Cell President-NPP District Udhampur), Surinder Chouhan, Khajoor Singh, Rashpaul Singh, Hakim Din, Raj Pratap Singh, Raj Kumar, Madan Lal, Sunil Kumar Ajay Singh, Rakesh Singh besides others.
