Ram Madhav takes a swipe at NC, PDP for fielding proxy candidates
Despite militant threats, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav on Thursday said he was glad to see the enthusiasm among the party cadre ahead of the urban local bodies (ULB) elections. He also mocked the National Conference (NC) and the PDP for fielding proxy candidates after calling for the boycott of the municipal polls.
“Our party candidates are contesting from all municipal bodies of the Valley. I came here to take stock of the situation and encourage our candidates. Even in difficult (militancy affected) areas like south Kashmir, the party has been able to put up good number of candidates. I realise that as we are coming nearer, there is sudden enthusiasm in filing the nominations….It is quite visible…It is a good sign,” Madhav told mediapersons after chairing a meeting here to review the preparations for the municipal elections starting October 8.
He said the boycott call by the two main parties of the state — NC and PDP — was “very unfortunate”, while maintaining that he had come to know that their candidates were filing nominations as proxies.
Madhav, who had played a key role in the formation of the previous PDP-BJP coalition government in the state, also reiterated that the NC and PDP should reconsider their boycott call.
Taking a dig at the two parties, he said fielding candidates as Independents was nevertheless a “good sign” and that the “democracy should flourish”.
On charges that the BJP was fielding migrant Kashmiri Pandit candidates from south Kashmir due to militant threats, Madhav said, “Only from few pockets…three/ four places, we have fielded migrant candidates, but elsewhere local Kashmiris have come forward.”
He said they had been assured adequate security arrangements by the state authorities during the electoral process.
At the meeting, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, BJP media in charge, said Madhav took feedback from the workers. “He interacted with the workers and took feedback. He appreciated the candidates for coming forward to contest the polls despite the overall situation,” he said.
