Political parties focus on outreach for LS polls

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, April 23

Most of the Opposition parties, which have been criticising the BJP-led Central Government for the delay in Assembly polls in J&K, are also making preparations for the next year’s Lok Sabha poll as well as the urban local bodies’ elections besides panchayat polls, expected later this year. The saffron party itself is preparing for the polls.

The BJP, during a core group meeting on Saturday in which Union Minister Jitendra Singh, national general secretary and J&K in-charge Tarun Chugh among other senior leaders were present, preparations for Lok Sabha and local bodies’ polls were discussed. The BJP also held a meeting of district presidents, general secretaries in which they were asked to take the programmes of the saffron party to the ground level ahead of polls.

Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari, during many of his meetings with party workers, has asked them to extend their outreach for the Lok Sabha elections. While the Apni Party doesn’t have a major vote base in Kashmir or Jammu division, its holds influence in some areas.

Opponents of the BJP claim that its popularity has declined even in its stronghold Hindu-dominated Jammu because of the anti-encroachment drive, recruitment scams, terrorists’ activities and unemployment among other factors.

Pointing towards the fresh exercise initiated in J&K for revision of electoral rolls, Harsh Dev Singh, senior leader of the J&K National Panthers Party (JKNPP), said it was yet another “egregious move” to avoid the state elections for political reasons. Singh is himself holding regular public interaction in party’s stronghold Udhampur.

The date for filing claims and objections regarding the special summary revision for the photo electoral rolls has been extended to May 6 by the Election Commission.

NC chief Farooq Abdullah is also trying to forge coordination between different parties before the Lok Sabha elections to throw a challenge to the BJP. The Congress has also raised its pitch against the Centre by holding regular protests over the issue of unemployment, price hike and many local issues pertaining to the UT.

However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) appears to have been missing so far as a few leaders have left the party.