All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference on Wednesday said none of its members would contest the MLC election from panchayat quota. "We make it clear that no member of AJKPC shall contest the MLC's election and we shall continue our fight for the empowerment of the Panchayati Raj institution in the state of Jammu and Kashmir," chairman of AJKPC, Shafiq Mir, told reporters.
"We are here to strengthen democracy at grassroots level, at Panchayat halqa level. We are more concerned for the safety and security of our panches and sarpanches not to become MLCs," he said.
The Election Commission on Wednesday said polls to fill up two vacancies in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council from the panchayat quota will be held on December 3.
Mir accused the government of deliberately announcing the MLC elections from panchayat quota to divert the attention from the real issue of the grassroots level institutions in the state.
These elections are nothing but an eyewash and panches and sarpanches have never made any such demand, he claimed. Before announcing and holding the MLC elections, the state government should have implemented 73rd amendment of the Constitution regarding Panchayati Raj, Mir said.
He also appealed to the EC to hold on these elections till the three tier system of Panchayati Raj is established in the state.
