JAMMU: Positive vibes emerged during the meeting convened by the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer Shantmanu on Wednesday when mainstream opposition pitched for scheduled polls to Anantnag and Srinagar Lok Sabha seats-by-election of which has been necessitated due to Mehbooba Mufti quitting the seat and getting elected to State Legislative Assembly and PDP’s Tariq Hameed Karra resigning his seat against the role of the party in meeting situation after terrorist Burhan Wani’s killing.
While the ruling PDP expressed reservations about the conduct of by-elections, the Opposition by and large wanted to have these as per schedule.
Asserting that there is little representation from Kashmir in Parliament as both Srinagar and Anantnag seats fell vacant, the opposition parties comprising mainstream National Conference, Congress backed by NCP, CPI (M) and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party sought timely completion of election process to fill up the vacant seats. The BJP did not participate in the meeting.
“On one hand the government claims that life is limping back to normalcy and they are holding examinations and curfew is being lifted in the Kashmir valley but simultaneously, they are asking for postponement of elections till April 2017, which is not acceptable as polls have to be held before January 4,” Ravinder Sharma, Congress Spokesperson said here.
He said that it was surprising that there was no representative of the BJP, adding, “We also asked the CEO to finalise the dates and exercise to hold Local Bodies elections”.
“The members of opposition were present in the meeting and in one voice, we sought timely conduct of the polls, which must be held by December 20,” Harsh Dev Singh, JKNPP Chairman and former minister said.
He said that if there will be any plan of delaying the elections; the Act has to be amended in Parliament for further action.
“PDP refused to hold timely polls with a plea that the situation is not favourable,” he added and said that BJP remained absent, which was unfortunate.
BJP remained tightlipped on its absence from the All Parties Meeting and refused to comment.