No one barred from campaigning, says Election Commissioner

No one barred from campaigning, says Election Commissioner

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Election Commissioner KK Sharma on Monday briefed reporters about the upcoming District Development Council (DDC) elections that begin November 28.
Sharma rejected allegations of political parties that the government was only selectively allowing political parties to campaign for the polls. No candidate has been barred from campaigning, he said.
“Those who claim that they are not allowed to campaign for polls should write to me, concerned SSPs, and Deputy Commissioners of the concerned districts. It will be looked into. But no one is barred from campaigning,” Sharma said at the press conference here at the EC office in the city centre.
“SEC (State Election Commission) believes in providing equal opportunities to every contesting candidate and shall not bar any candidate from going anywhere he wishes to go for campaigning,” he added.
The Public Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an umbrella body of political parties fighting for the restoration of special status of Jammu and Kashmir, had earlier written a letter to Sharma alleging that the candidates of the alliance were not being allowed to canvas for the DDC polls. In the letter the PAGD had alleged that candidates put up by the PAGD were immediately whisked away to “secure locations” in the name of security and confined to those “secure locations”.
In response to this Sharma said that he had received a letter from PAGD president Dr Farooq Abdullah, on which he has taken necessary action. According to him, the matter has been taken up with the divisional administration as well.
Sharma said that adequate security arrangements were being put in place and deployment of additional 165 CAPF companies was being made to ensure peaceful law and order situation, area domination, security of candidates and polling booths, and incident-free polls in Kashmir.
“More security arrangements will be put in place for free and fair elections. Additional forces are being deployed for the conduct of elections. The preparations are in an advanced stage for smooth and hassle-free conduct of 8- Phase DDC elections, ULB and Panchayat by- elections in the Union Territory. All resources have been deployed to ensure safe and secure elections are held in all 10 districts of Kashmir,” Sharma said.
He also said that DCs have been instructed to ensure that people strictly follow all Covid related SOPs including use of face masks and hand sanitisers while participating in the election process. He also asked them to ensure availability of thermal scanning, face masks and hand sanitisers at all polling booths.
Jammu and Kashmir is going to DDC elections along with bypolls to panchayats and urban local bodies in eight phases from November 28.

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