The recent remarks of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Governor Satya Pal Malik over the conduct of recently held municipal elections are hurting, humiliating and insulting for those who used to praise the first BJP Prime Minister of the country late Atal Bihari Vajpayee for conducting the 2002 assembly elections with transparency. Election rigging is not only voting through unfair means but it largely means respect to the willingness of the majority. Ironically under Governor Satya Pal Malik the willingness of the majority has been set aside and surprisingly the participation of just 5-6% electors has been given legitimacy. Not only the willingness of majority of the electors has been set aside but even no election in the majority of the wards of municipal areas is not a concern for the likes of Home Minister Rajnath and Governor Satya Pal Malik in unleashing a propaganda on recently held municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir state particularly the Kashmir valley. PDP President Mehbooba Mufti often compliments the first BJP Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee for conducting the 2002 assembly elections with transparency and puts the blame for rigging 1987 assembly elections on Farooq Abdullah led National Conference and the Congress party but she does not dare to say that forget election rigging the governor’s administration is now introducing a black chapter in the democratic history of the country by allowing the constitution of municipal committees and councils despite no elections in the majority of the wards.
When a state government can’t be formed if elections are not held in majority of assembly constituencies and a central government can’t be formed if elections are not held in majority of parliamentary constituencies, how can a municipal committee or municipal council be formed without holding elections in majority of the municipal wards ?
How can government defend the legitimacy of the constitution of such municipal committees and the municipal councils where even a single candidate did not bother to file nomination papers and scope for holding an election or declaring any one candidate elected unopposed was not found. Before claiming transparency in the conduct of municipal elections and unleashing a false propaganda on democracy the likes of Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Governor Satya Pal Malik owe an explanation for constituting the municipal committees and councils where scope for elections in the majority of the wards was not found. The question arises that when a state government can’t be formed if elections are not held in majority of assembly constituencies and a central government can’t be formed if elections are not held in majority of parliamentary constituencies, how can a municipal committee or municipal council be formed without holding elections in majority of the municipal wards?
