3-member NC delegation meets ECI team

Srinagar, Oct 9 : Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Thursday sought deferment of elections to Legislative Assembly in view of large scale devastation caused by flash floods in most parts of the state.

“Time is not ripe for holding elections as the atmosphere is not congenial due to devastation caused by floods and the trauma and shock the people are in”, pleaded a three-member delegation of National Conference led by General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar and comprising of Provincial Presidents of Jammu and Kashmir Divisions, Mr. Devender Singh Rana and Mr. Nasir Aslam Wani in a meeting with Deputy Chief Election Commissioner Mr Vinod Zutshi, currently on a visit to the State, said a statement issued to KMW.
The delegation told Mr Zutshi that while National Conference has always upheld the democratic values and made many sacrifices to maintain the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir, it strongly feels that as of now the first priority should be relief, rehabilitation and welfare of the people and not the elections.
The delegation apprised the Deputy CEC about the large scale devastation caused across the state, saying it has badly damaged the infrastructure including schools, colleges, health institutions and the government offices. The delegation gave a detailed statistics of the damages that have occurred in most of the Assembly Constituencies in the Valley and a couple of them in the Jammu region.
The delegation told Mr Zutshi that National Conference wants a democratically elected government but in view of the situation focus had to be laid on relief and rehabilitation of the flood-hit areas .
The delegation said for the people who have lost their home n hearth elections is nowhere on their horizon at this stage and imposing an election on them will be playing with their emotions and sentiments. They said the time is to apply balm with care and compassion with the sole aim of the people’s dignified rehabilitation and in this they reiterated there is no room for politics and as such need to defer the assembly elections.