SRINAGAR — A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in Jammu and Kashmir has accused the ruling National Conference (NC)-led government of stalling local self-government elections, labeling the administration as the "biggest enemy" of grassroots democracy in the region.
BJP MLA Balwant Singh Pathania issued a scathing critique of the current administration, claiming that authorities are deliberately withholding panchayat and municipal elections to consolidate power and keep local governance away from the public.
Local self-government institutions, including panchayats and urban local bodies, play a crucial role in grassroots administration and local development across Jammu and Kashmir. Delays in holding these polls have increasingly become a point of contention between the ruling party and opposition groups in the region.
Pathania argued that postponing the democratic exercise at the grassroots level undermines the fundamental rights of local communities to elect their representatives and manage civic affairs. He urged the government to announce a clear timeline for holding the elections without further administrative delays.
The ruling National Conference has not immediately responded to the latest criticism regarding the municipal and panchayat election timeline. The administration has previously faced pressure from various political fronts to restore full democratic structures at the village and municipal levels across the union territory.