Ram Madhav brushes aside separatists' poll boycott calls, says nothing new in it

He said people should vote for whichever candidate they like as democracy is a celebration and everybody should participate in this celebration.

Jammu, Mar 18: There is nothing new in poll boycott calls made by separatists in Kashmir, BJP's national general secretary Ram Madhav said on Saturday as he asked people to vote in large numbers.

"There is nothing new about it. Separatists have been giving such calls every time elections are round the corner. They have done the same thing now," Ram Madhav said while talking to reporters in Jammu.

Asked about the call by separatist leaders for the boycott of upcoming bypolls in Srinagar and Anantnag Lok Sabha seats, Madhav said, "We also do the same thing and appeal to the voters to come out in large numbers and participate in the elections".

He said people should vote for whichever candidate they like as democracy is a celebration and everybody should participate in this celebration. On whether the BJP would contest the Lok Sabha bypolls, Madhav felt that a mutually acceptable decision should be taken after consultations with the PDP, the party's alliance partner in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We had suggested to the leadership of the coalition partners BJP and PDP that they should sit and talk to each other. PDP should talk to the state leadership here and after that today or tomorrow the (BJP) central leadership will take a decision," Madhav said.

"Let the two parties sit and talk to each other first. BJP had fought on all the six in Lok Sabha elections earlier and after that in assembly elections too", he added.

The PDP has already announced its candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats but the BJP is yet to field any nominees. The rival parties, the National Conference and Congress would be contesting the elections as an allies and have shared one seat each.

"Whether BJP has very less votes and what decision is to be taken in account of that vote bank, the two parties should hold discussions to talk each other and both should be satisfied that should be the way out," Madhav told reporters.

The BJP leader had earlier held meetings with state party leaders here on their opinion about the by-elections for two Lok Sabha seats and legislative council polls.

PTI