Polls in J&K
Congress has come under attack from National Conference and PDP for its decision to participate in the current Municipal and Panchayat elections. PDP has said that Congress by its decision has virtually bailed out BJP in the State. PDP also reminded Congress of its past mistakes and its attacks on the special status of J&K State in the past few decades.
PDP said that the decision to stay away from the polls was aimed to respect the sentiments of people, therefore “the participation of Congress and BJP in the polls won’t harm PDP at the gross root level at all.”
National Conference said that Congress’s participation in the polls shows that Congress has its own interests and it has to keep national interests into the consideration as well. NC has decided to stay away from the [polls over the issue of Article 35-A, currently sub-judice, saying that the party won’t go against the aspirations of people and it will always respect the sentiments of people. NC has nothing to do with other parties but the party is staying away from the polls to secure the rights and special status of people living in the state.
While National Conference has tried to play down the decision of Congress to participate in the polls, many media reports said that Farooq Abullah was not happy with the decision of Congress. National Conference insiders said that there would be an impact of this decision of Congress on the future alliance of the party with them. Already Farooq Abdullah has threatened to boycott State and Parliamentary elections as well if the Central Government will not come clear on its stand on the issue of special status of J&K State.
