JKNPP urges Prez to postpone BDC election

The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) on Wednesday urged President Ram Nath Kovind to postpone the Block Development Council (BDC) polls in the state till the communication blockade in the Valley is lifted.

A notification was issued on Tuesday for the election of chairpersons of BDC in 310 blocks of Jammu and Kashmir, the first polls in the state after abrogation of its special status on August 5.

Chief Electoral Officer Shailendra Kumar said the elections will be held on October 24.

"We urge the President to postpone BDC elections as there is no communication in entire Jammu and Kashmir," Chief Patron of JKNPP, Prof Bhim Singh told reporters here.

"There is no telephone connection till today with the political activists or districts in Kashmir Valley as well as districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban even in Jammu province", he added.

It was only a day before when the J&K administration declared that it was releasing political prisoners from jails and directing schools to reopen, he said.

Singh said that Wednesday is the last date for filing nominations and due to the communication blockade, there has been no communication between the party's top leadership and its district or block leaders particularly in the Kashmir region and five districts of Jammu.

"The President is urged to issue a direction to the Governor of J&K as he (President) is the only competent authority to take such a decision. The elections cannot be held because of political reasons, total breakdown of communication and non-access to district political parties," he said.

"No political party except the government can interact or communicate with the administration at the block level," he added.

Singh urged the President to postpone the election till normalcy returns in the Valley.

The polls should be held only after all the political prisoners detained under PSA are released and the political parties can contact their respective leadership at the block level, he said.

Singh warned that an attempt to hold forcible and fraudulent BDC elections shall prove counter-productive and urged all political parties to support his demand.