All parties being given equal opportunity: J&K CEC on Farooq’s letter

Jammu and Kashmir state election commissioner KK Sharma on Monday said he had discussed People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration chairperson Farooq Abdullah’s letter with the administration and had assured candidates that all the arrangements will be provided for campaigning in the district development council polls.

Sharma said that the complaint that candidates are being prevented from campaigning was wrong and said all political parties have equal opportunities to campaign and undertake election activities.

“The letter was discussed in detail with the divisional administration and we wrote back to him (Farooq). I have made it clear that security of candidates is necessary but at the same time all arrangements will be provided to candidates,” Sharma said.

He said the police had been asked to ensure that candidates are provided security while campaigning in all areas.

“DDC elections in J&K are a historic feat for us. These elections are being held on party basis and the number of candidates participating is good., indicating that people want to participate in these elections,” he said.

Sharma held meetings with Kashmir divisional commissioner Pandurang K Pole, inspector feneral of police Vijay Kumar and deputy commissioners of all the districts on Sunday and Monday to review the arrangements for the elections being held between November 28 and December 19.

Farooq had written to Sharma on Saturday saying their candidates were not being allowed to canvass freely: “Candidates put up by the PAGD are immediately whisked away to ‘secure locations’ in the name of security and confined to those ‘locations’,” he had said.