JAMMU, 5 October — An election observer in the Pulwama district of Kashmir has said he will ask the Election Commission to de-recognize the ruling National Conference party because it misused the government machinery for electioneering during the staggered state Assembly polls.
The Election Commission of India had appointed about 20 senior officials in different parts of the state as observers to ensure free and fair voting.
The poll observer for the Pulwama district, after receiving a number of complaints from opposition parties, has also suspended a state government official for helping a ruling party candidate.
After conducting an investigation into the complaints, the observer said he was of the opinion that the ruling party was misusing the official apparatus for electioneering.
The observer was particularly unhappy about the role of an officer at the Pulwama police station in organizing campaign rallies for the National Conference nominee.
Bashir Ahmad Nengroom, a minister in the Cabinet of outgoing Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, is seeking re-election from Pulwama seat where polling was held on Oct. 1.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress party have submitted to the poll observer photographs showing the official actively participating in the ruling party’s election meetings.
The National Conference dismissed the allegation as "stage-managed".
