‘Transparent, impartial administration needed for free, fair polls’
Jammu: Stating that the people across Jammu and Kashmir want an end of Governor’s rule so that their issues are resolved by their own elected representatives, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) delegation on Tuesday held a detailed meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora in Jammu.
According to the party spokesman, the delegation comprising of senior PDP leader and former minister Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, MLC Surinder Choudhary and MLC Firdous Ahmad Tak pitched for the conduction of assembly as well as the parliament polls together in Jammu and Kashmir and besides adequate security arrangements for the contesting candidates, the PDP leaders also underscored the need for the balanced, transparent and impartial administration for the conduction of free and fair elections.
The delegation while meeting the ECI team stated that Jammu and Kashmir being the part of world’s largest democracy shouldn’t feel left out and undermined with popular government nowhere in place and a bunch of bureaucrats calling shots in the administration.
The delegation told the ECI team that Emergency was declared in the country once and it is still being considered as one of the darkest periods of democracy and in Jammu and Kashmir, Governor’s rule has been imposed 12 times so farad that there are apprehensions that efforts are being made to undermine the democratic institutions in the state. “When popular government till last year was in place, 10 to 15 thousand people used to visit civil secretariat every day and common masses were directly connected with the government, appraising the authorities their hardships sans any hindrance. However, at present, the already aggrieved masses feel isolated and neglected. It is giving rise to instability, alienation and is plunging state into chaos,” spokesman quoting the delegation said.
The PDP leaders further stated that during the municipal and panchayat polls, 74 percent of people exercised their franchise and more than 10 thousand candidates jumped into the electoral fray with no incident of violence reported anywhere. “PDP wants a political solution to the Kashmir problem but there is also dire need to address the mounting development deficit in the state and resolve peoples’ woes which are piling up with each passing day due to the absence of an elected government. People don’t want continuation of governor’s rule in the state,” delegation appraised the ECI team while suggesting that parliament and assembly polls should be held together in the state.
