Congress party announced on Wednesday that it would boycott the upcoming Block Development Council (BDC) elections in protest against the detention of leaders post abrogation of Article 370.
Addressing a press conference in Jammu, Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir, said: “We have come to realise that these elections (Block Development Council elections) are being held to facilitate only one party – ruling party. Our leaders are under detention. We have no other option but to announce that we are boycotting the election.”
#GhulamAhmadMir, #Congress: We’ve come to realise that these elections (Block Development Council elections) are being held to facilitate only one party – ruling party. Our leaders are under detention. We have no other option but to announce that we are boycotting the election. pic.twitter.com/j849AzVpJB
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) October 9, 2019
“We told that our leaders, office bearers are detained, they are not being allowed to come out. They should be released so that they can go to their constituencies,” he said.
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Filing of nominations for elections to chairpersons of Block Development Councils (BDC) in 310 blocks of Jammu and Kashmir will end on Wednesday.
The polling will be held on October 24 from 9 AM to 1 PM and counting of votes will be taken up from 3 PM on the same day. The process of the elections for the second tier of the Panchayati Raj system will be completed by 5th of November.
These will be the first elections to be held in the state since its special status was revoked under Article 370 on August 5.