POONCH: Former J&K Chief Minister and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Chairman, Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that the candidates who can raise J&K people’s voice strongly should go to the Parliament. ” We don’t want to send the deaf and dumb leaders to the Union Parliament as when the J&K state was downgraded to Union Territories, Article 370 was abrogated, three Members in the Parliament from National Conference did not even speak up, staged protest or walk-out from the House, but I sat on the floor of the House for four hours as a mark of protest and spoke for about one and half hours. Now, these leaders are asking for revocation of Article 370 and restoration of Statehood. For what they were there in the Lok Sabha,” Azad asserted. “Our candidates are not like that. They will forcefully project the issues of J&K people in the Lok Sabha, like me. We are not influenced by any one. We are Azad, and our Party is Azad. NC’s senior leader Omar Abdullah remained Minister in BJP-led Government and PDP’ leader framed Government with the support of BJP. They still have internal pact and the truth will come out shortly. People will understand who is playing as A team or B team of BJP. I had never been in BJP, never supported BJP or had any alliance with that party. People know about the credentials of these two parties. They should avoid mud-slinging upon us,” Azad stated. The DPAP leader welcomed the Election Commission’s decision to postpone polls in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency and said this has relieved several political parties. He emphasised the importance of the Assembly elections over Parliamentary elections stating it is very important to have a Legislative Assembly and Legislators put in place through polls. “It is never too late. The decision of the Election Commission of India has relieved us. I thank the ECI for taking this right decision. All political parties will benefit from the decision. Actually, all parties are happy,” he added. Azad, who is on campaign trial in Rajouri-Poonch for his party’s candidate Mohammad Saleem pitted in triangular contest with PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti and NC’s Mian Altaf on Anantnag-Rajouri seat, pointed out that the Election Commission should have scheduled polling in this constituency for the sixth or seventh phase. He explained that this circumstance led him and other political parties to write a letter to the Election Commission, requesting the postponement of elections until the Mughal Road is reopened. He highlighted the significant travel challenges within the constituency. “It takes three days to reach Poonch from Kashmir via Jammu and three more days to return. How is it possible that it takes six days and three nights in a constituency to travel from one area to another?” he asked. The DPAP leader said that after the announcement of elections, he was waiting for the past 10 to 15 days to reopen the Mughal road through Pir Ki Gali so that he along with his candidate could undertake campaigning here. “Due to heavy snowfall and rains, this road could not be reopened till date,” he said. Regarding the impact on the Nomadic community’s ability to vote, Azad said, “There will be no effect on the Nomadic community in terms of exercising their franchise. They generally move to upper reaches in June as the hills are covered by snow as of now. By then, we will even get the results and the government would also be formed.” Responding to a question about the elections in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, he described it as “romantic” and emphasized it is the first constituency carved out since 1947, consisting of parts of the Jammu and Kashmir regions. Taking a swipe at the Congress, Azad said, “It is not the first time someone has raised questions on EVMs. Several parties have raised questions on EVMs. Debates were held in the Parliament on it. The court and the ECI have deemed them the right ones.”
