Conducting ULB polls further demolition of democratic institutions : PDP

Srinagar, Oct 20: The recently held Urban Local Bodies (ULB) polls in Jammu and Kashmir were ‘a complete mess’, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday said.
Talking to Kashmir News Service, PDP chief spokesman Rafi Ahmad Mir said that the ULB polls conducted in the state was further demolition of democratic institutions here.
“The deteriorating situation in Kashmir has already put halt to the institutions and holding elections at this juncture was tantamount to further demolition of the democratic institutions as the candidates who contested in the polls don’t even have any knowledge about their respective areas.”
He said that the reports suggest that a huge amount was spent in the polls but “it is on record that crores of rupees were spent in the state but that yield nothing.”
Mir added that there was a need of political solution to the problems. “I believe that the government should have focused on holding talks with those who are angry so that any solution can come out,” he said.
Referring to verdict of people in the ULB polls, PDP chief spokesperson said that “There was Modi wave earlier in Jammu but today’s election indicated that people are not happy with Modi anymore.”
He said that ultimately it is people who decided the fate of any party or candidate.
The PDP chief spokesperson further added that dialogue with all the stakeholders including Hurriyat, civil society is must for the lasting peace of the region, saying that due to the lingering issues, it is people of the state who are sufferings huge losses here.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)