J&K Congress President Tariq Hameed Kara on Monday termed the power to nominate five members in the new Assembly by the Lieutenant Governor as “unconstitutional” and “undemocratic."
“The constitution of India clearly mentions that even if the President of the country has to nominate members for the Rajya Sabha cannot do arbitrary and under the constitution he has to go through the advice of the government that is represented by the cabinet," Karra told media persons in Srinagar.
"It is an arbitrary authority given to the Lieutenant Governor,” he said.
Karra said if the Centre has implemented and given powers to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir to nominate five members for the new Assembly, it is in his opinion “unconstitutional and undemocratic."
“How could it happen where a President of India could not have the arbitrary powers and a Lieutenant Governor would be given such powers," Karra questions.
Asked if Congress is in contact with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) regarding the formation of Government, Karra said, “I have maintained right from the day one that every person, every organisation, every political party who are on the same page to put BJP out of the corridors of power in Jammu and Kashmir, our doors are open for them."
Commenting on the exit polls declared by several media agencies, Karra said, "Sometimes exit polls prove true and the projection of exit polls sometimes proves doubtful and manipulated."
"As far as we are concerned we believe in the exact poll instead of the exit poll," he added.
Meanwhile, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti said giving power to the Lieutenant Governor to nominate five members to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly was a “brazen pre-result rigging” of the polls.
“All of the five MLAs nominated by LG are BJP members or associated with the party. Brazen pre result rigging & shameful manipulation,” Iltija posted on X, formerly twitter.