4-Phase J&K Civic Polls from Oct 8
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RNI No.2016/1957, REGD NO. SSP/LW/NP-34/2016-18 Follow us on: @TheDailyPioneer facebook.com/dailypioneer Established 1864 Late City Vol. 154 Issue 250 Published From *Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable NATION 5 WORLD 6 SPORT 10 DELHI LUCKNOW BHOPAL PM LEADS WITH TYPHOON UNLEASHES HAMILTON TAKES BHUBANESWAR RANCHI FURY ON PHILIPPINES POLE IN SINGAPORE RAIPUR CHANDIGARH SWACHCHHATA HI SEVA DRIVE DEHRADUN LUCKNOW, SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2018; PAGES 12+8 `3 www.dailypioneer.com USUALSUSPECTS SWAPAN DASGUPTA 4-phase J&K civic polls from Oct 8 SEC announces date despite NC, PDP call to stay BJP support base intact, away from elections & terrorists, separatists’ threats 6 terrorists killed in gunfight suggests DUSU verdict KHURSHEED WANI n SRINAGAR KHURSHEED WANI n SRINAGAR espite the decision of the top-ranking commander of olitical parties are quite naturally inclined to talk up their DNational Conference (NC) Abanned Hizbul Mujahideen Psuccesses and underplay the significance of setbacks. and Peoples Democratic Party (HM) and five Lashkar-e- Under the circumstances, the elation in the BJP over the (PDP), two main pro-election Tayyeba (LeT) terrorists were ABVP’s victory in three of the four elected posts for the Delhi political parties in Jammu & killed in assault on a hideout in University Student’s Union is understandable. Likewise, it is Kashmir, to stay away from the Chowgam village of south also entirely predictable that the Congress has blamed faulty poll process, the State Election Kashmir’s Kulgam district on EVMs for its failure to hold on to the body. Blaming defeats on Commission on Saturday Saturday post midnight. electoral irregularities has, it would seem, also become announced a four-phased A civilian protester was routine. schedule for the crucial munic- also shot dead by security Discounting the template responses, is there any ipal elections, starting forces during clashes in the significance to the outcome of the DUSU elections, some October 8. aftermath of fierce gunfight seven months before the general election of 2019? The The announcement for the that lent a serious blow to ter- answers are mixed. conduct of the urban bodies’ Chief Electoral Officer Shaleen Kabra addresses a Press conference as he rorists in south Kashmir To begin with, student elections are only partially polls comes also against the announces the dates for muncipal elections in Srinagar on Saturday PTI region. The authorities sus- indicative of the larger popular mood. Despite the backdrop of separatists’ call for pended train services in the phenomenal expansion of higher education in India, boycott and terrorists’ direct sought postponement of the Former Chief Minister and region and snapped internet Armymen celebrate after the killing of five Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e- universities — especially those dominated by undergraduate- threat to the prospective can- hearing of the litigations in the PDP president Mehbooba to prevent escalation in the Tayyeba terrorists, including top HM Commander Gulzar Paddar, at Chowgam heavy constituent colleges — tend to be middle class in didates and campaigners. apex court in the wake of pro- Mufti recently said the party situation. area of Qazigund in Kulgam on Saturday PTI character. The middle class in turn embraces a very social The first notification for posed local body and pan- will not participate in the elec- Official sources said Gulzar range in terms of income, social status and aspirations. It the urban local body polls chayat elections. The court tions as the prevailing situation Padder of HM and his four Police said Gulzar — an accom- “During the search opera- includes representatives of the traditional elite and those who would be issued on September later deferred the hearing till in Kashmir was not favourable. accomplices were trapped in a plice of slain terrorist com- tion, terrorists opened fire on are first-generation literates. In addition, apart from students 18 and the voting in the first January next year. She said the party will not con- residential house, which was mander Altaf Kachroo — was the search party. Initially the rooted to the city, Delhi University has a large numbers of phase would be held on The NC was the first test the election till the encircled in the dead of night involved in a series of attacks, civilians were moved away students who come to the Capital city from both October 8 from 7 am to 2 pm. regional party in the State that Government takes positive following specific input. During including killing of five police from the site of encounter to neighbouring and distant States. Although not in the same Addressing a Press confer- announced to stay away from steps to safeguard the special the heavy exchange of fire, two personnel at Pambay village in safer locations. bracket as the IITs or even Jawaharlal Nehru University, DU ence, Chief Electoral Officer the elections though the party status of Jammu & Kashmir. Army personnel were injured. Kulgam, last year. Turn to Page 6 has a relatively more diverse character than, say, State Shaleen Kabra said the polls avoided calling for a boycott or Turn to Page 6 universities. However, in the case of DUSU, some of this would be held in four phases on launching any campaign for it. diversity is discounted by the fact that at least two of the most October 8, 10, 13 and 16 this The PDP followed suit and m The first notification for the urban local body polls elite institutions — St Stephen’s College and Lady Shri Ram year. “The notifications for announced its inability to take would be issued on September 18 and the voting Police waging anti-radical narrative College — are not members of DUSU and, consequently, phase 2, 3 and 4 will be issued part in the elections. in the first phase would be held on October 8 don’t participate in the election. on September 20, 22 and 24 Several other political from 7 am to 2 pm The DUSU election is at best a loose parameter of how respectively,” said Kabra, groups with influence in spe- m war against jehadis on social media Young India thinks. Yet, considering that nearly half the adding that 17 lakh voters cific pockets, including the Polls would be held in four phases on October 8, electorate is made up of under-35s, the age group that were registered for the polls. CPI(M) and the Peoples’ 10, 13 and 16 this year Financial Investigation Unit set up to check terror funding and swung the 2014 election in “The counting of votes Democratic Front, also chose to m The National Conference and PDP have decided track suspected businessmen involved in hawala operations What the DUSU results tell favour of the BJP and would take place on October stay away from the polls. to stay away from the municipal and panchayat us is that conventional Narendra Modi in 2014, its 20,” he said. The Congress remained polls citing the linkage of the electoral exercise RAKESH K SINGH n NEW DELHI terror groups in the Valley. importance should not be The NC and the PDP have indecisive on its stance to con- with a series of litigations in the Supreme Court The Jammu & Kashmir police has politics is alive and kicking. entirely discounted. The decided to stay away from the test the elections while the challenging the special status of J&K under the o check terror funding and track set up 30 media cells for catering to the That the ABVP enjoyed an DUSU election does have municipal and panchayat polls BJP and several Jammu-based provisions of Article 35A Tsuspected businessmen involved in local traditional media like the news- edge also suggests there is a qualified representative citing the linkage of the elec- parties have not resisted the m A prominent terrorist outfit Hizbul hawala operations, the Jammu & papers. no real sense of anger at the character. Consequently, toral exercise with a series of lit- poll schedule. Mujahideen has already Kashmir police has set up a Financial In addition, Facebook pages and the results are nominally igations in the Supreme Court Despite the NC and the issued poll boycott threat Investigation Unit and is also aggres- Twitter accounts have been opera- Modi Government or any indicative of larger trends challenging the special status of PDP’s decision to stay away, the and said it will punish sively using the social media to trans- tionalised by all the 26 districts, five despondency over future in the country. J&K under the provisions of Governor administration firm- contestants and voters by mit counter narratives to the radical ranges and two police zones to reach out prospects. Had that been the If anything, this year’s Article 35A. The Governor ly adhered to its plan to hold sprinkling sulphuric and thoughts being put forth by the sepa- to the public on a real-time basis. outcome demolished an administration on August 31 the elections. hydrochloric acid on them ratist groups and Pakistan-sponsored Turn to Page 6 case, the support for the important but self-serving ABVP would have crumbled. myth that has been doing the rounds for the past two CAPSULE That is not the case and years. This myth is centred would indicate that the on the belief that both 33-HR COUNTDOWN FOR Congress activism over Modi and the BJP have Govt mum over tax cut on fuel PSLV-C42 LAUNCH BEGINS Chennai India’s perceived economic steadily lost ground owing : The 33-hour to the tensions that have To stick to fiscal deficit target on with “phenomenal” increase countdown for the launch of two decline isn’t universally pitted rebellious instincts in tax base.