Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have condemned the BJP's recent appointment of an incharge for Assembly elections in the region, alleging it's a delaying tactic.
“What does the BJP’s announcement of an election in charge of J&K have to do with the Assembly elections? For the past five years, we have heard that elections would be conducted after delimitation. Then delimitation was done.
“Then they said electoral rolls needed revision. Then they said the voter list required to be revised. If the elections are left to the BJP, we don’t see them happening in J&K,” said Waheed Parra, People’s Democratic Party leader who recently contested the Lok Sabha polls and lost .
Parra said the Election Commission (EC) had successfully conducted the Lok Sabha polls in J&K with massive participation.
“The government pats itself on the back for the high turnout during the Lok Sabha elections and G-20 summit. Now let the EC announce elections,” he added.
However, the BJP has issued several statements affirming that the party is ready and waiting for EC’s say in the matter.
Meanwhile, NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar pointed out that Assembly elections had been held in J&K despite turbulent times over the past three decades, including after the Kargil war. “What is stopping the BJP from holding elections?” he asked.
Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since 2018 when the BJP pulled out of the alliance with the PDP.
