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30.09.2018
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State unit of BhartiyaJanata Party (BJP) on Saturday urged the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), ShaleenKabra to derecognise the political parties which have announced boycott of panchayat and local body elections. National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and BahujanSamaj Party (BSP) have decided not to contest the polls in view of “grim security situation” in Jammu and Kashmir over challenge to Article 35A in the Supreme Court, and other issues.

Addressing a press conference at party headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, here, state spokesperson BJP, Brigadier (Retired) Anil Gupta said the NC, the PDP, the BSP and the CPI-M were the recognized political parties with reserved election symbols.

“These parties are mandated to participate in all elections as per section 29A (5) of Representation of People Act 1951. Elections are the core of democratic process and afford opportunity to people to express their will,” said Brig Gupta.

He said by boycotting the elections, the NC, the PDP and other parties have not only “betrayed the people of Jammu and Kashmir but also disrespected the constitution of India which they had pledged to safeguard while applying for recognition of their respective political parties”. “By not participating in the election process, these parties are violating the section 29 A [5] and 29 A [7] of Representation of People Act 1951 and Election Symbol Order 1968 and thus they are liable to be derecognised and their election symbols frozen,” said Gupta.

“There is a precedent that Election Commission of India has in the past derecognised a few political parties,” claimed the BJP spokesperson. He told the media persons that a petition with SHRC in this context had already been filed by advocate Hunar Gupta, state convener, Human Rights Cell of the party “since the suppression of democratic process by these parties also amounts to gross violation of human rights.”

“We’ve also urged the CEO, Jammu and Kashmir to immediately take up the issue with ECI to derecognize these parties and freeze their poll symbols,” Gupta said.

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