Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 23 Jun: BJP today called upon Congress to refrain from politicising the High Court’s interim stay on the upcoming panchayat elections, urging it to respect the judicial process. The party expressed confidence that clarity would emerge once the state government submits its response to the court.
State Party President and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt stated that BJP is fully in favour of early elections and that all internal processes, including candidate selection through observers, will continue as planned. He emphasised that both the party and the government are committed to conducting the three-tier panchayat elections in accordance with constitutional procedures and reservation norms.
Bhatt dismissed Congress’s allegations of irregularities in the reservation process, asserting that the Supreme Court’s directives regarding OBC reservations have been duly followed. He added that due representation has been ensured for women, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes.
Responding to Congress’s objection to the two-day polling schedule, Bhatt termed it baseless, pointing out that previous elections have been conducted over three days. He explained that the Election Commission decides polling dates based on administrative resources, terrain, and weather conditions. He argued that even if polling were held on a single day, Congress would still allege manipulation, indicating that their intent is to pursue negative politics.
BJP is continuing its preparations for the elections. The observers are currently visiting assembly constituencies to finalise panels of supported candidates for Zila Panchayat member posts. The party expects to receive these panels from all constituencies by tomorrow.
