PDP, NC furious over EC allowing temporary residents to vote in J&K assembly elections
J&K elections (file photo)
The political parties in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have lashed out at the central government after the Election Commission announced that people living temporarily in the Union territory can vote in the upcoming assembly elections. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief and former Chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti appealed to all the political parties to join hands to fight the 'agenda of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'.
Mehbooba also said that she has spoken to National Conference (NC) Patron and Member of Parliament Dr Farooq Abdullah to decide the future course of action. She has called for an all-party meeting to discuss the issue of providing voting rights to the non-residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
''Over 25 lakh non-locals are being inducted in the voter lists of J&Kwhich is the last nail in the coffin of electoral democracy. Jammu & Kashmir has become an experimental laboratory for the BJP. I want to say to the nation that BJP is not doing anything in the interest of the nation, they are just doing what they aim to do. They have subverted national interest. Rigging has become part and parcel of the BJP now. They are using money and power for it,'' said former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Reactingto the decision, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah said that BJP is insecure about the support from genuine voters of Jammu and Kashmir. ''Is the BJP so insecure about support from genuine voters of J&K that it needs to import temporary voters to win seats? None of these things will help the BJP when the people of J&K are given a chance to exercise their franchise, '' said Omar.
The political parties saidthat they will contest this decision till it's taken back.
