JAMMU: The move of the Center and the State Government to initiate an early electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir received a “serious setback” with the State Decomitation Commission mem: ber, Justice A.G, Kuchiai, and the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, GA, Ganal, resigning from their posts, official sources said.
The sources said Justice Kuchai resigned following threats from the outfit Jamatul Mujahideen.”
The decision of Ganai, who is also an Executive Municipal Officer, comes on the heels of the decision of three association of the Kashmir revenue employers the All Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Officers’ Association, the All Jammu and Kashmir Patwan Association and the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Employees” Association not to cooperate in the revision of electoral rolls in the State.
The sources said the resignations come at a time when the Election Commission of India had ordered the revision of the summary rolls in the state and the completion of the whole exercise by January 10.
Meanwhile, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, ruled out the possibility of his party, the National Conference, participating in elections under the “present circumstances.”
“In the present atmosphere of guns and large chunks of population having migrated out, no election process was possible” Dr. Abdullah said.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 14, 1994
