Jammu: Opposition BJP and CPI-M on Tuesday slammed the Jammu and Kashmir government for its decision to cancel Block Development Council elections, saying the move was politically motivated and smacked of differences between coalition partners NC and Congress.
"We oppose the cabinet decision to cancel the BDC polls after issuing official notification. We term the decision as politically motivated, illegal and undemocratic," BJP state unit chief Shamsher Singh Manhas told reporters here.
He said BJP has been fighting for reservation to SCs, STs and women in urban and rural local bodies and added the NC-Congress coalition has suddenly woken up to raise the issue as an "excuse" for cancelling the BDC election.
Manhas alleged that NC and Congress were never sincere in granting reservation to SCs, STs and women but now they want to buy time and avoid election because Congress is fast losing its mandate in Jammu while NC fears losing its ground to PDP in Kashmir Valley when any election is held.
He said if Congress was sincere, it could have ensured reservation for SCs, STs and women well before the start of election process as they have their ministers in the cabinet.
"This has further exposed Congress` double speak on the issue," he added.
CPI-M state secretary M Y Tarigami said in Srinagar that the decision to cancel the elections showed that coalition partners NC and Congress were not on the same page.
"The decision of the state cabinet indicates that the coalition partners are not working in unison and are pulling in different directions. This issue could have been settled in the state assembly during the recent session instead of bringing an ordinance," he said.
PTI
