Jammu traders seek action against defacement of properties ahead of urban local bodies polls

Jammu traders expressed displeasure over defacement of properties by putting up posters in connection with the upcoming urban local bodies polls and asked the State Election Commission to look into the matter.

The Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries (JCCI), a representative body of traders, highlighted the issue in a letter to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shaleen Kabra.

"We would like to bring to your kind notice that we have received numerous complaints from the people not only from the business community but from public at large that the contesting candidates in the ongoing election process for the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) have literary defaced the whole city by pasting stickers on the walls and gates of private houses and on public property," JCCI president Rakesh Gupta said in the letter.

The 75 wards of JMC along with 347 wards spread over various districts across Jammu and Kashmir are going to polls in the first phase of the four-phased elections on October 8.

Out of the total 1,283 contestants, 447 candidates are in the fray for the 75 wards of the Jammu region.

"We fail to understand that these candidates who are promising in the election manifesto to keep the city clean and carry on developments have resorted to such actions. We feel that this is an open violation of election rules and also bad in law," Gupta said.

He requested the chief electoral officer to take serious note of the matter and direct the officials concerned to take an appropriate action against the violators.