Campaigning
Campaigning has been in the center of controversy as in the recent past PAGD leadership has constantly accused the administration and Police of confining their candidates and allowing BJP and JK Apni Party candidates to go for the canvassing. Authorities have been denying these allegations and have maintained that those candidates who have been given security and accommodation have been done according to the threat perception to them.
Recently the SEC told the media that wherever he got the complaints about the confinement of the candidates he has given standing instructions that they should be allowed to campaign.
However when he was told about the letter written by head of PAGD Farooq Abdullah to him asking for a level playing field to his candidates in these local elections while blaming the administration for impeding democracy and not allowing his candidates to campaign.
SEC told the media in this response that the letter of Farooq Abdullah was talking in general terms and there were no specific examples given by him for taking remedial measures.
Most of the candidates in South Kashmir belonging to PAGD have alleged that they were not allowed to campaign and in the name of security they have been confined to secure places while their counterparts especially BJP candidates were campaigning in all the villages along with security cover. PAGD has accused the central government of using official machinery in Jammu and Kashmir against its candidates and even Mehbooba Mufti in one of the recent tweets mention the name of the candidate who is already having the security and still kept in a secure accommodation by police and not allowing him to campaign.
