EC full bench discusses JK bypoll issue with Home Secy

New Delhi/ April, 17: The Election Commission and the Home Ministry Wednesday discussed measures to ensure a violence- free bypoll to the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat like cutting down on the number of polling stations for better security.
Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and his two Election Commissioners held talks with Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, who assured them of providing adequate paramilitary forces for the bypoll to be held on May 25, official sources said.
Meanwhile authoritative sources have disclosed that Election Commission of India(ECI)  may defer the by-polls for Anantnag parliamentary seat as all the contesting parties have pleaded before the election holding body.
The by-polls for the seat are slated to be held on May 25 following their postponement by ECI after eight civilian youth were killed in Budgam and Ganderbal on polling day on Srinagar seat.
Sources as quoted by local vernacular news agency KNS said that the state government has conveyed again to the ECI to defer the by-polls further, citing deteriorating situation in Kashmir valley.
Sources said that Chief Minister too has communicated to ECI to defer the by-polls during her recent visit to New Delhi.
Congress state president and joint contesting of Congress-NC JKPCC candidate on Anantnag G A Mir yesterday met the ECI in New Delhi to give him a detailed presentation about the situation and shared their experience during the period of campaigning for the Anantnag Lok Sabha Constituency.
PDP general secretary Nizamu-din Bhat confirmed that the party has written a letter to ECI to further defer the by-polls.
“ECI should defer the elections as people in Kashmir do not want polls at this time. Our party too has communicated to the election commission twice to defer the by-polls,” Bhat said.
The delegation comprised Mubarak Gul, Nawang Rizin Jora, Aijaz Ahmad Khan, G. M. Saroori, Altaf Ahmad Kaloo, Mohd Amin Bhat, Ab. Majeed Larmi, Gulzar Ahmad Wani, Showket Hussain Ganie and Thakur Balbir Singh.
They regretted that the contesting candidate and the Opposition Parties were not taken on board while deferring and rescheduling polling for Anantnag Lok Sabha seat.
Earlier, PDP candidate Tasaduq Mufti had appealed to the ECI to defer polls after eight civilians were killed on polling day in Budgam and Ganderbal districts.
Agencies