Cracks Within National Conference or a Proxy Act?

New Delhi: In the run-up to local body polls in Kashmir, National Conference spokesperson Junaid Mattu resigned on Monday citing disagreement with his party’s decision to boycott the upcoming local body polls. Making his resignation public, Mattu tweeted, “Based on my humble disagreement with the party’s decision to boycott the upcoming ULB and Panchayat polls, I have just sent my resignation from the party to JKNC General Secretary.” While announcing his departure, Mattu also made his future plans of contesting ULB elections public. “I will announce my candidature for the ULB elections from Srinagar tomorrow. I remain committed to serving my people and helping the city,” he tweeted.

 

Mattu’s resignation and the announcement of candidacy for the ULB elections, has come at a time when two major mainstream political parties, NC and People's Democratic Party (PDP) have already boycotted the polls, citing protection of Article 35-A as the reason. Sources told Newsclick, that rumours are rife that Mattu is being fielded as a proxy candidate for the National Conference for gaining ground. “Party fears losing ground in its bastion and the resignation has come in the background of the just concluded two-day party Central Working Committee meet,” an official on the basis of anonymity told Newsclick. The current Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik, had also hinted at the possibility of mainstream parties fielding proxy candidates.

 

In his interview to The Hindu, Malik had said he was sure that the candidates of parties would participate in elections without the party symbol. “I met leaders of all political parties – they say something in person and their public posturing is different.... It is not that they are scared – they move around in bulletproof vehicles,” he had said. Moreover, Bharatiya Janata Party’s state unit president, Ravinder Raina had slammed the mainstream parties for boycotting the elections by calling it a “sheer hypocrisy.”

 

“We know that NC and PDP will field proxy candidates despite having announced boycott of these polls. We will expose their sheer hypocrisy,” Raina was quoted by The Tribune as saying.

 

The urban local body polls will be held in four phases from October 8 to 16, and the panchayat elections will be held in nine phases on a non-party basis beginning  November 17. The municipal polls are being conducted after 13 years, the last election was conducted in 2005. However, the notification for the first phase of panchayat elections will be issued on October 23. To ensure that the elections run smoothly, the government has decided to give one-month additional salary to employees who will be deployed for election duty.

 

Meanwhile, concerns over militants trying to disrupt the polls have been looming over the valley, particularly in the volatile region of South Kashmir. Recently, militants had threatened to attack those who participate in the electoral process. “Militants have threatened to carry out acid attacks against those taking part in the upcoming polls with the situation turning more volatile particularly in southern Valley,” Firstpost reported. 

 

As per the official figures, 4,500 sarpanchs and 39,500 panchs will be elected in the upcoming polls. Also, heavy security preparation is being done for 2500 polling stations and 1145 wards in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.