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Kupwara, Baramula civic poll
Separatists not ready for talks on autonomy: Bhat
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Campaigning for MC poll ends
J-K highway closed after snowfall
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Kupwara, Baramula civic poll rigged, says Omar
Srinagar, January 30 Deriding the elections as manipulated, Mr Omar Abdullah said his party had no faith in any elections organised by the state government. He said the NC had no problem in conceding defeat which was part of any election process, but it was shocked to see the PDP winning seven seats from an area where it had no presence. Referring to Kupwara where the NC has a sitting MLA and where the traditional contest has been between the National Conference and Sajjad Lone’s People’s Conference, Mr Omar Abdullah wondered how the NC could wrest just one out of the 13 ward seats. “Our sources in the CID informed us that we were all set to win at least six seats from Kupwara, but we were shocked to see that the PDP, which has no cadre in Kupwara, won seven seats from there,” Mr Omar Abdullah said after holding an hour-long meeting with his candidates for the Srinagar Municipal Corporation poll to be held on February 1. Saying the Srinagar civic election results had already been decided, Mr Omar Abdullah rued that the Mufti government was following no election code. “They are going about awarding contracts to people. In Srinagar, they have established booths close to houses of their candidates. Voters’ lists have been tampered with; areas have been added and deleted to suit the state government’s interests,” said Mr Omar Abdullah, further alleging that the PDP had bribed voters. He added, “The Mufti thinks no other party has a presence in this area, but we are the mainstream party of Jammu and Kashmir. We have been committed to bringing the average Kashmiris into the mainstream, and it would be better if we are allowed to do that. The ruling party should not force us to think otherwise,” Mr Omar Abdullah said before proceeding for canvassing in Srinagar on this last day of campaigning for the civic poll. The NC lost out heavily to its political opponents in yesterday’s local bodies poll held in Baramula and Kuprawa. Whereas in Kupwara, the NC won just one out of 13 wards, in Handwara it won two out of 13. Even in Baramula, the NC could barely manage to rise to the occasion. |
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Separatists not ready for talks on autonomy: Bhat
Jammu, January 30 He was surprised over the way the Central Government had hijacked the dialogue process on the settlement of the Kashmir issue by agreeing to examine afresh the National Conference demand. A committee was constituted by the Centre and the National Conference to examine the issue of providing greater autonomy to the state. Professor Bhat said “We were ready for a dialogue on possible solution to the Kashmir issue and if the Centre preferred to discuss greater autonomy with National Conference leaders we have no regrets because we know its not going to solve the problem.” In fact even the main-stream political parties like the Congress are divided over the issue. While the majority of those belonging to the Jammu region are opposed to it those from the valley were lending measured support to it. The BJP, RSS, Jammu Mukti Morcha, Panthers Party, Praja Parishad and other smaller organisations are opposing such a move. Prof Hari Om, BJP vice-president, and Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, a former Minister of State for Defence, said “whatever progress achieved in Jammu and Kashmir would get diluted if greater autonomy was restored.” The Panthers Party chief, Prof Bhim Singh, said since the state had separate flag, construction and its special status was guaranteed by Article 370 of the Constitution of India what else “we should have.” Others expressed fears that people of the state would be deprived of their fundamental rights if the state kept out of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, Comptroller and Auditor-General of India and the Chief Election Commission. However, National Conference leaders are of the view that greater autonomy could be better than the existing one for silencing the separatists.
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Campaigning for MC poll ends
Jammu, January 30 Except for a brief lull caused due to severe cold and rain contesting parties and candidates pressed into service all their resources for wooing the voters. Parties organised more than 300 rallies. However, candidates belonging to the BJP, the Congress, the National Conference concentrated on door-to-door campaigning. Since 33 per cent seats in the corporation has been reserved for women more than 25 candidates, belonging to different parties and some of them contesting as Independents, are in the field. For 71 seats 608 candidates had filed their nomination papers out of whom 21 were rejected and 50 had withdrawn their candidature. This way 537 candidates are in the fray. The National Conference has fielded its candidates on 63 seats and was supporting seven Independent candidates and as such the main contest is going to be among the BJP, the Congress, the PDP and the National Conference, the Panthers Party, the Praja Parishad and the Mukti Morcha. While the National Conference has not forged an electoral alliance or understanding with any political party, the BJP is contesting the poll in alliance with the Shiv Sena and the SAD. |
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J-K highway closed after snowfall
Jammu, January 30 The highway is closed from Patnitop to Kud, Banihal and Khoni nullah due to accumulation of fresh snow, including three feet at hill resort of Patnitop, they said. The highway was closed in the afternoon due to these snow blockades and landslides, they said, adding it was still snowing between Banihal and the tunnel area. Over 150 vehicles are stranded on the highway at different places, they said, adding that men and machines of the Border Road Organisation were working round the clock to clear highway of landslides and snow blockades.
— PTI |
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