BJP ready for BDC polls in J&K: Jitendra

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday welcomed the announcement of polls to block development councils (BDC) in Jammu and Kashmir by the election commission and said his party is ready for it. Singh took a dig at the opposition for questioning the polls and said they still believe in the "dynastic rule."

"We are the party, which works round the clock and is always ready for polls, whether BDC polls, assembly or parliamentary polls", Singh told reporters here. It is the EC's decision not of the government."Election commission said that the elections will be held on party basis", he said.

Union Minister said that BJP and its government is committed to grassroots level democracy under the command of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Playing down the opposition's objections, he said that there were panchayat polls during Governor's rule and 40,000 sarpanchs and panchs were elected.

"Some Kashmir centric political parties were opposing it (panchayat polls). But total peaceful elections were held", he said. "First they boycotted panchayat polls and .. and those parties were rejected who opposed them. Because they considered such polls as threat to their dynastic rule", he said.

He said that none of those, who will fight BDC elections, are detained. Over 18,000 panchs and sarpanchs are eligible to take part in the elections in Jammu division but Kashmir division has only 7528 elected panchs and sarpanchs.

Lashing at Kashmir centric PDP and National Conference, Singh said they batted strongly for autonomy, but they don't tolerate autonomy given to panchayats, and boycotted polls. "The situation is changing fast after the abrogation of Article 370 and reorganisation of the state. Those benefits, which have been kept away due to its imposition, will flow freely in J&K", he added.

The Election Authority on Sunday announced the poll schedule for the election of chairpersons of Block Development Councils (BDC) in the 310 blocks of Jammu and Kashmir. The polling will be held on October 24. The notification for the election will be issued on October 1 while October 9 will be the last date for filing of nominations, chief electoral officer Jammu and Kashmir Shailendra Kumar had said.

As many as 69 BDC chairperson posts have been reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates including 21 women, 25 posts for Scheduled Castes (seven women) and 78 posts for women from General Category. "Elections will be held for 310 of the 316 blocks in the state. Elections could not be held in two blocks while there are no women in four blocks reserved for women candidates," Kumar said. PTI AB RCJ

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)