SRINAGAR: Apni Party on Wednesday organized a meeting of leaders and candidates who contested District Development Council elections in Jammu region.
The meeting was held under the leadership by Former MLC and Apni Party, General Secretary, Vijay Bakaya in which General Secretary Vikram Malhotra, and Former Minister and Provincial President Manjit Singh, Provincial President, Women Wing, Namrta Sharma, other party leaders and 40 DDC candidates who contested elections participated at Gandhi Nagar.
In his address, Vijay Bakaya appreciated the DDC candidates who contested in Jammu region on party mandate and also thanked the voters who have supported the candidates in recently concluded elections.
The DDC candidates interacted with the party leaders and discussed various issues. Vijay Bakaya said that complimented the candidates for coming forward to contest the DDC elections at short notice.
He said that the party acknowledged the role they played in propagating the agenda of the party and popularing its election symbol.
Bakaya reminded them the Apni Party is just less than a year old, but it has been able to emerge as an alternative to the traditional politics of hollow slogans and selling of dreams.
The Apni Party was committed to practice pragmatic and progressive politics and steer the people of the Union Territory away from the past into a bright stable future, he said, adding that all those who had contested elections would have to play a vital role and the party would be with them with full support.
“We have to take forward the progress and development policy of the party. We will not side with those who have misled people with their hollow slogans,” General Secretary Vikram Malhotra said in his address.
Malhotra said that the Apni Party will not deprive the people following the polls, but will work for them to resolve their issues.
Speaking on the occasion, General Secretary Vikram Malhotra thanked the party workers and voters who have supported the party candidates.
“It was a new party with a new idea. We were running against the current while contesting the elections with most of the faces against seven political parties in the form of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) and BJP,” said Vikram Malhotra.
Malhotra said that the party has asked the contesting candidates to direct Malhotra to work among the people and strengthen the party at the grass-root level.
The Former Minister and Apni Party Provincial President Manjit Singh said that Apni Party candidates had given a tough fight to the other contesting candidates in DDC polls and the people who have voted for them have shown their interest towards the party’s ideology.
“Even as the party was new, the response of people was encouraging and it should continue to guide the party leaders. The people have supported the party despite challenges in the DDC polls,” said Manjit Singh.
The Former Minister said that “There is anger among the people against farms bills, and new land laws in J&K. However, the rest of the political parties avoided speaking on this as if both PAGD and BJP have the understanding on the issues to keep silence.”
Provincial President, Women Wing, Namrta Sharma said that “Women are going to play a pivotal role in decision making in the political scenario.” She appealed to the women cadre to work among the people.
Namrta said the political parties have failed to address the issues of common masses during the recent elections.
“Apni Party leaders and contesting candidates highlighted the developmental issues, unemployment and other issues, but the PAGD and BJP remained focused on targeting each other so that their failures are not exposed before the public,” she said.
Prominent among the participants in the meeting included Apni Party leader SC State Coordinator Bodh Raj Bhagat, Ex-MLA from Chenani Faqir Nath, Media Coordinator Raqeeq Ahmed Khan, Gourav Kapoor, Saleem Alam, Sohan Singh Soni, trade union leader Pushp Dev Uppal, Vaibhav Mattoo, Yasir Ali Choudhary, RK Lalotra, Dalbir Singh and others.
