Owaisi ridicules NDA govt over holding polling in Anantnag LS

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi took potshots at the BJP-led NDA government over holding polling in Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir over three phases.

"Have you ever heard that election to a parliament seat would be held in three days, in three phases... there are four districts in Anantnag. Two districts in one phase, one district in second phase and one district in third phase...

Wah Modiji Wah. What have you made of Kashmir. Because of your governance, the election of a parliament seat is held in three phases," he said addressing a gathering here Tuesday night.

The BJP was in power in the state in partnership with the PDP and it has been Governors rule since the BJP-PDP government fell, he said.

Though Assembly polls are due in Jammu and Kashmir, it could not be held as the Election Commission expressed inability as the situation is bad, Owaisi said.

The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was dissolved in November last year, months after the Mehbooba Mufti-headed government in the state fell following the BJP withdrawing support to it in June.

The Election Commission decided to announce the schedule for only Lok Sabha polls in the state and not for the assembly elections due to inputs it had received from authorities on constraint of availability of central forces for enforcing security in the wake of recent violence, according to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.

Owaisi, Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad, made light of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reported speech in which he had related an anectode about a tea seller to illustrate the possibility of generating fuel from gas generated from sewers.

"How much gas you will release? You released only gas in five years...," Owaisi said.

He also attacked the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar over death of two young men at Sitamarhi allegedly due to police torture.

Referring to those who expressed concern over polls being held during Ramzan, he said the festival has nothing to do with the election.

Owaisi had earlier said coinciding of Lok Sabha polls with Ramzan would not hamper poll percentage, rubbishing claims made by some leaders to the effect.

Leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have claimed that elections during the Muslim holy month will inconvenience the community, largely seen to be backing the opposition parties, and help the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president reiterated that his party supported the TRS in Telangana and the YSR Congress in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

The AIMIM had announced support to Prakash Ambedkar in Maharashtra, he said.