Srinagar: All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), the apex body of Panchayats, on Monday announced that it will contest all the 280 seats of District Development Councils as independent candidates.
AJKPC chairman Shafiq Mir said by amending the J&K Panchayati Raj Act, government has opened the door for the entry of politicians in this institution at third stage. “But we will not allow them to enter in our institution; that is why we have decided to field independent candidates on all 280 DDC seats, for which the preparation are in final stages.”
Addressing a press conference here, large number of Panchayat leaders led by Shafiq Mir said that they will not allow the politicians to enter in Panchayati institutions “because these are the people who have always been against the PRI system in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Questioning the role of various political parties regarding Panchayati Raj system in Jammu and Kashmir, Mir said all political parties had boycotted the first-tier and second-tier Panchayat elections held in 2018 and 2019 respectively but at the third and final stage doors have been opened for them.
“Now when they felt they have been sidelined and left jobless, they are preparing to enter in this institution, but we will not allow them to succeed. We have decided to field candidates on all the seats as independent candidates,” he said.
Appealing the educated youth to participate in these elections, Mir said that the past policy of boycott has brought only “irrelevant” lot into the Panchayati institutions. “The educated youth should realize that they have been always misguided by the politicians with false promises, and they should take part in these local developmental institutions and serve the people.”
