Kiran Choudhry, leader of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party, sees “sinister design in the calculated and deliberate delay’ by the BJP Government led by Mr Manohar lal Khattar, in the holding of elections to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and municipal bodies in the state. The elections to the grass-roots level democratic institutions and municipal bodies should have been over by now but the voters’ lists are still being updated, she said.In a statement issued here today, the former excise and taxation minister said, “The delay in the holding of elections to PRIs and municipal bodies is calculated and deliberate by the BJP government which is playing the sinister game of rearranging the wards with the ulterior motive of stage-managing the outcome of the elections through its hand-picked officers.”
This serves democracy a body blow and tears apart the BJP claims of adherence to democratic norms. The state government can’t deprive the rural and urban people of their fundamental right to elect representatives to gram panchayats and municipal bodies.Ms Choudhry pointed out that the Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, made it obligatory on the state government to issue notification for holding elections to gram panchayats, block samitis and zila parishad at least 15 days prior to the expiry of the term of the incumbent bodies. But the Khattar Government has failed to do so. While the term of municipalities has already expired, that of PRIs expires on July 24, 2015 but the process is yet to be initiated, she said.“It is high time the Khattar Government stopped depriving the people of their democratic rights. They have seen through their devious designs and shall punish them sooner than later,” she added.