Now, CPI-M to boycott panchayat polls in J&K

September 17, 2018 16:12

The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Monday said it will boycott the upcoming panchayat and local bodies polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

Slamming the Centre for going ahead with the elections despite opposition from mainstream parties in the state, the CPI-M said it showed the "arrogance" of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government.

"The decision of the government to go ahead with panchayat and urban local bodies elections despite majority of mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir deciding not to participate... shows the arrogance of the BJP-led Central government," state secretary, CPI-M, Ghulam Nabi Malik, said in a statement.

The CPI-M is the third political party after National Conference and People's Democratic Party to stay away from the polls scheduled to be held from next month.

"The government should have convened an all party meeting to discuss this issue, unfortunately that has not been done. Keeping the prevailing situation in consideration, the CPI-M has decided not to participate in these polls," the state secretary said.

Malik said the political parties of the state had raised some issues, including the linking of the polls to the plea in the Supreme Court on Article 35A by both the Central and state governments.

"It was wrong on behalf of the government to use polls as a reason to seek deferment of Article 35A in the SC. The mainstream political parties had also urged the Centre to clear its stand over Article 35A before announcing ULB and Panchayat elections," he said.

"The political parties in the state were also demanding the shifting of additional solicitor general of India Tushar Mehta from Article 35A case in the Supreme Court, as during the hearing on the case in the apex court on August 31, Mehta, who represents the state, crossed his brief," he added.

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