Cong accuses BJP of horse-trading to gain control of civic bodies in J-K

Jammu and Kashmir Congress president G A Mir Sunday accused the BJP of indulging in horse-trading to gain control of civic bodies in the state.

Mir's statement comes a day after BJP members, including a former Congress leader, were elected to the top positions in all the six municipal bodies in Kathua district.

Naresh Sharma had won in the Kathua Municipal Council on Congress ticket and had recently joined the BJP along with three party councillors.

"The BJP had lost most of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) although it indulged in horse-trading exercise to woo the independents and Congress councilors, through influence of power, by delaying the polls to the presidents and vice presidents of the municipal committees without any justified reason," Mir said.

Addressing a meeting of senior party leaders here, Mir also accused the BJP of depriving the women 33 per cent quota to the heads of ULB, including to those of Schedule Cast and Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes.

"This was done deliberately as the BJP did not have clear majority in most ULBs in the region and it wanted to grab these bodies by hook and crook," he said.

Referring to the ULB polls, he said the BJP can claim victory in terms of number in the Jammu Municipal Corporation where it won 43 seats, but no one can ignore the fact that the party lost over 50 per cent of vote share in Jammu city alone as compared to last assembly election.

"While the Congress gained heavily in Ladakh and Kashmir regions, its overall vote share in the Jammu region has increased as compared to last election," he claimed.

Mir said the Congress took bold decisions to strengthen democracy in the state against all odds of worst ever security situation and political scenario in the state, especially when two main parties had opted out of the exercise.

"This had put the party workers in a very difficult situation in most parts and had to face a hostile atmosphere, as the Congress was the only main political force to face the people," he said.