Srinagar: Congress has decided not to send its star campaigners to the union territory, even as top BJP central leaders and union ministers are camping in J&K for ongoing District Development Council (DDC) polls.
Barring All Indian Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of J&K affairs Rajni Patil and national secretary Sudhir Sharma, no star campaigner of Congress has visited Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a workers’ meeting in Bishnah, Patil said the BJP was sensing defeat and as a result was dispatching its top leaders to J&K.
“Why it (BJP) needs the help of a battery of national leaders and other star campaigners including film celebrities to go to every nook and corner of Jammu and Kashmir to seek votes for the party in these local elections to the Panchayat development councils. Fear of losing these elections lurks in the hearts of the BJP high command forcing it to dispatch several central ministers to campaign for the party,” she said.
J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president GA Mir said the DDC polls cannot be a substitute for the assembly elections.
“The historical J&K state has been reduced to a UT which is no better than a municipal corporation….the people want to know the reasons behind punishing the people especially of Jammu region, who gave a huge mandate to BJP….it’s good that elections to the DDCs of Panchayat raj system are being held all of a sudden but these bodies cannot be a substitute for the assembly,” said Mir while questioning the delay to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
A senior Congress leader said Patil was on a day’s visit to Jammu and as of now there were no plans of dispatching star campaigners to J&K.
“She was on a one-day visit to Jammu only and no major star campaigners will be visiting J&K as of now. However, she may visit Kashmir later,” the Congress leader said.
