NEW DELHI: The BJP warmed the Union Government against holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir without restoring normalcy in the valley.
Ata news conference, Krishan Lal Sharma, a vice-president of the party, who recently visited the state, condemned the designs of the ruling party which, he said, were creating an atmosphere for holding “fake elections” in the state, The Center should not repeat the mistake it committed in Punjab as elections in Jammu and Kashmir at this juncture would prove counter-productive.
The government had not been able to hold census operations which were due in 1991. Although the strength of the state assembly had been raised from 76 to 87, the process of delimitation of constituencies had not been initiated. The authorities had failed to publish electoral rolls and lakhs of migrants, who had been forced out of their homes were in no position to return the valley. His party would oppose any move to hold elections in the prevailing conditions.
The leader demanded that the Center should sent an all-party delegation to the valley to assess the political situation there, Resentment prevailed in the Ladakh and Jammu regions because of regional imbalances. Asked if his party would boycott the poll, Sharma said the party was keeping its options open. The state unit had brought to the notice of the party high command the situation prevailing in the state, A final decision would be taken by the BJP central election committee. The BJP leader alleged that the Union Home Minister, S.B.Chavan, had, during his recent visit to the state, brought a large number of Congress functionaries in government helicopters.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 15, 1992
