Local parties, Cong slam civic poll announcement

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The top leaderships of parties are either detained under the PSA or are under house arrest TAHIR SAYEED, PDP spokesperson

nSRINAGAR: Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday dismissed the bypolls being held next month to over 12,500 Panchayat seats in Jammu and Kashmir as a farce in view of the continued incarceration of top leaders of major parties.

Jammu and Kashmir’s chief electoral officer, Shailender Kumar, on Thursday announced the bypolls will be held in eight phases from March 5 to March 20.

PDP spokesman Tahir Sayeed called the announcement a farce. “The vital decision for participation in the elections has to be taken by the leadership of the parties... but the entire top leaderships of the parties are either detained under the PSA [Public Safety Act] or has been placed under house arrest,” said Sayeed.

Former chief ministers Omar Abdullah of the National Conference (NC) and Mufti were last week booked under the stringent PSA that allows for detention without trial for up to two years.

Another former chief minister, Farooq Abdullah, was booked under the PSA in September. The three were among hundreds of politicians and activists, who were detained to prevent protests against the nullification of Article 370 that stripped J&K of its special status in August.

Sayeed said the government of India has made a joke of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. “For the last two years, they have been claiming that elections were successful. Today, it was proved that thousands of panchayat seats were vacant,” he said.

NC leader Hasnain Masoodi, who represents Anantnag in Lok Sabha, said only his party’s leadership can take a decision whether or not to participate in the bypolls. “But one thing is clear that the government should release the leaders so they could meet and form a strategy... If they [government] will not release the party leadership, then it is clear that it does not want the participation of a particular party.”

“Let them free all of them and provide a level playing field to all the leaders,” State Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Monga said.

BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur welcomed the announcement. “The decision to hold these polls on party basis is a very good decision. The parties, which had boycotted the panchayat polls last time, should also participate in these elections for development.”