Srinagar: After the National Conference announced to boycott the upcoming local body and panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Peoples Democratic Party has followed the suite and announced a boycott of the elections.

At a meeting chaired by the party president Mehbooba Mufti, sources said that the party was unanimous on the boycott citing ambiguity on part of New Delhi on the article 35-A issue.

Article 35A, which gives special rights to people in of Jammu and Kashmir, and bars outsiders from owning immovable property, has been challenged in the Supreme Court of India.

The state government last week announced the schedule for holding elections in the state. While the urban local body polls are scheduled for the first week of October, the panchayat elections are set to take place in December.

The party meeting which was attended by all but five lawmakers including Imran Ansari, Abid Ansari, Abdul Majeed Padder, Yasir Reshi and Saifuddin.

Immediately after the meeting was over, Mehbooba tweeted: “The central government’s plea in Supreme Court to link decision on 35A with panchayat and urban bodies elections , was a disastrous idea, which has further alienated the people and complicated the situation on ground  (SIC)”.

 

This post was published on September 10, 2018