Jammu: Former Minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla on Monday said that Congress never escaped from the democratic exercise and it is the responsibility of the ECI to restore democracy in J&K by holding the elections. “If general elections could be held, there is no justification of deferring assembly polls,” he said, adding that the people of J&K want popular government in place without any further delay.He said restoration of democracy is in the interest of J&K and a popular government is the need of the hour in view of the emerging situation. The Lt. Governor with four advisors and chief secretary cannot be an alternative to the popular government. The people are facing a lot of problems and only their representatives can reach out to them to mitigate their sufferings,” Bhalla said.“We believe restoration of the popular government will help in improving the security situation in J&K and Congress wants early elections to restore basic rights of the people. The Panchayat election is the most challenging because you have to go to the remotest place. If those elections could be held in a peaceful manner, delaying assembly elections would be wrong and grave injustice with the people,” he said. The people of J&K have the right to be governed by their own elected representatives, and an elected government should be installed at the earliest. “Despite being in power at the Centre and in erstwhile J&K State, BJP failed miserably on governance front and let down Jammu on all fronts”, he said, adding that the BJP has nothing to showcase as its achievement, least to fulfilling liberal promises during elections.Bhalla observed that the treachery and deceit of the BJP is haunting Jammu people who reposed their unflinching faith and support to it with the hope that Jammu may perhaps get a better deal as during the days of its wilderness in the opposition, the BJP leaders were crying hoarse over discrimination and neglect. “Not only on the front of development but equally in terms of instilling a sense of confidence among the people, the BJP has desperately failed”, Bhalla said and referred to uncertain political climate prevailing across J&K ever-since the BJP dispensation came into being. “I will keep pursuing and highlighting every issue, major or minor, to see Gandhi Nagar constituency progress and prosper, notwithstanding the odds”, he assured the people and said that their support, cooperation and, above all, feedback and counselling about the needs of the constituency have been crucially useful for him to project the same on concerned platform for the address and mitigation of the same, Bhalla added.