JAMMU: Congress and National Conference on Thursday jointly organised election campaign for parliamentary by-elections at Jagti here. National Conference and Congress made a fervent appeal to migrant voters of the Srinagar and Anantnag Parliamentary constituencies to cast their votes in favour of Dr Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Ahmed Mir to strengthen secular forces.
“PDP-BJP dispensation has betrayed the people of the State in general and migrants in particular by failing in addressing to their accumulated problems,” former MLC Vijay Bakaya and former Congress minister Raman Bhalla said at a joint address in Jagti.
Anil Dhar, Hira Lal Pandita, M.K Yogi, N.N Pandita, Gulam Qadir Bhat and Shadi Lal Pandita also addressed the gathering.
Bakaya and Bhalla asked the Coalition Government as to what progress has been made in fulfilling the vacancies for the migrant youth under Prime Minister’s package in the past two years. They said the NC-Congress Government had undertaken fast-track recruitment keeping in view the age and miseries of the unemployed educated youth.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman NC Minority Cell, Bushan Lal Bhat and President, M.K Yogi sought massive mandate for Dr Farooq Abdullah and Mir, hoping that people will come in large numbers to cast their votes.
Bakaya urged the Assistant Returning Officer for migrants to keep his office open on Sunday to enable the eligible voters to get M-Forms, a pre-requisite for casting votes.
The National Conference and Congress leaders expressed anguish over delay in renovation of migrant colonies and ensuring regulated drinking water and power supply.
Kick starting election campaign, former Minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla urged upon the KPs to gear up for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections and ensure victory of joint candidate G.A Mir with an overwhelming majority, for the fact victory of Congress candidate will be the victory of secular forces in the State. He said that high time for the people to defeat the menace of BJP-PDP combination, which is hell bent upon to divide people on religious and regional lines for the sake of power. People have realized that the PDP BJP Coalition which is responsible for the agony and anguish of the people and their vote to PDP will not serve their motive.
Urging people to exercise their democratic right carefully, Bhalla said fascist forces have no place in Kashmir that has been abode of saints and sages for centuries.