Kathua: Candidates filed their nomination here on Wednesday for the upcoming Block Development Council (BDC) election scheduled to be held on October 24 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Congress party announced on Wednesday that it would boycott the BDC election.

"We have come to realise that these elections (Block Development Council elections) are being held to facilitate only one party - the ruling party. Our leaders are under detention. We have no other option but to announce that we are boycotting the election," Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir said while addressing a press conference.

On October 8, Union home minister Amit Shah had reviewed the ground situation of Jammu and Kashmir during a meeting with state BJP leaders, sources said.

The meeting was conducted to take stock of the ground situation in Kashmir Valley and discuss preparedness ahead of BDC elections.

Several prominent leaders of Jammu and Kashmir unit of BJP were present in the meeting.

The Union home minister, in the meeting, directed the BJP leaders in Jammu and Kashmir to put all possible efforts to restore normalcy and peace in the Valley. He asked the leaders to support administration towards reopening of schools and other educational institutions in the region and start outreach programs to bring people at ease, sources said.