DESPITE OPPOSITION FROM LOCAL HEAVYWEIGHTS, VOTING IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR’S ANANTNAG-RAJOURI SEAT POSTPONED TO MAY 25
The Election Commission Tuesday postponed voting day in the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency in Jammu and Kashmir to May 25. It was previously scheduled to be held on May 7.
The EC said it had received representations from different political parties to move the date of polling due to logistical issues and “natural barrier of connectivity” that hindered campaigning, which is “tantamount to lack of fair opportunities for the contesting candidates”. However, two major parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC), had opposed the move.
The BJP, the Kashmir Apni Party, and the People’s Conference were among the parties that petitioned the EC to postpone the voting day. They had pointed out that Mughal Road, the only road link between the constituency’s two parts — South Kashmir in the Valley and Pir Panjal in Jammu — was closed for traffic for several days due to incessant rain.
The EC on Tuesday said, “The Commission, after considering report from the UT administration, as well as analysing the ground situation prevailing in the said constituency, has decided under Section 56 of Representation of People Act, 1951, to revise the date of poll in the said Parliamentary Constituency…”
Former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP, who is contesting from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, said the decision was part of an attempt by the BJP to prevent her from winning and to “help the proxies” of the BJP.
While the BJP has not fielded any candidate from the seat, it has hinted that it would support the Apni Party candidate, Zafar Iqbal Manhas.
However, the main contest in the constituency is expected to be between PDP’s Mufti and NC candidate Mian Altaf. There are a total of 21 candidates in the fray.
Criticising the moving of the election date, Mufti told The Indian Express, “Well, they (BJP) are frustrated after seeing the response of people in my roadshows and meetings, and have thus ganged up against me. They don’t want Mehbooba Mufti in Parliament as she will speak truth to power there.”
“All this drama is to help their proxies at the cost of destroying the faith of Kashmiris in the election process, whatever was left of it. They have once again sacrificed national interest for petty gains,” she said.
The Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency came into being after the delimitation exercise was completed in 2022, by adding the Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu division to the earlier Anantnag constituency, which comprised four districts of South Kashmir.
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2024-05-01T02:41:25Z dg43tfdfdgfd