Express dissatisfaction about the decision of admin to conduct polls amid spike in COVID-19 cases, ongoing border tensions
Tasaduq Hussain
Leh, Sept 19 (KNO): The political parties gearing up to contest the Ladakh autonomous hill development council election in next few weeks have shown dissatisfaction about the decision of administration to conduct the election amid spike in the COVID-19 cases and the ongoing border tensions.
The political parties believe that the election amid such a situation is going to be near impossible and challenging for the political parties to motivate the voters.
Talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the representatives of political parties said that the poll schedule announced by the administration was shocking for them as it was already suggested by three parties to postpone the election in view of spike in the COVID-19 cases in Leh and serious border tensions in the eastern Ladakh.
Rinchen Namgyal, official spokesperson of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), told KNO that expect some hardcore BJP members every person not only the political parties but every voter is not happy with the government’s decision of conducting the election.
“The decision to hold the election was shocking and nobody knew about it. Without having the concern of the people the administration has decided to conduct the election,” he said.
He said that conducting elections under such circumstances is next to impossible and they don’t know how the election authority has come-up with a notification to conduct the election in the next 25 days.
He also said it is next to impossible when they have to do campaigning in the areas that are near the border as there are escalating tensions between India and China.
Tsering Namgyal, Leh district president of the Congress party told KNO that election has to be conducted in any case and now the government has decided to conduct it they (parties) will somehow gear up for the contest since there is no choice.
He said that the COVID pandemic seems to have no end and they cannot cite it as a reason for postponement. “Keeping precautions in mind and whatever the SOPs government might issue for the election we have to ultimately take part in the electoral process.”
He said that people might not be willing to come out and participate in the electoral process amid the rise in the COVID-19 cases, which may lead to a low voter turnout—(KNO)
