Ang by-poll: High Court seeks Home Ministry’s reply

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has granted two weeks time to Union Home Ministry to file reply to a petition, seeking by-election to parliamentary seat which was vacated by Mehbooba Mufti to become Chief Minister of the state after her father’s demise.
Irked by the delay in holding the by-poll to the Anantnag Parliamentary seat, one of the candidates Ghulam Mohammad Wani of Pulwama has approached the state High Court seeking directions to the election commission to hold the election early.
Justice Tashi Rabstan granted two weeks time after Assistant Solicitor General of India Tahir Majid Shamshi (ASGI) prayed that some more time be granted for filling the reply.
As violence rocked Srinagar and Budgam districts during the by-poll held on April 9, 2017 for Srinagar Parliamentary constituency, the ECI deferred the by-poll in Anantnag due to law and order situation.
Seven candidates were in the fray when the ECI in May this year rescinded the by-poll to fulfill the seat which fell vacant after Mehbooba Mufti resigned from the Parliament to become the Chief Minister of the state last year.
The main contest was expected between ruling PDP candidate Mufti Tassaduq Hussain, son of former chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and state Congress chief G A Mir.
The ECI has to issue a new notification inviting nominations as and when the election takes place.
Wani, a candidate of All J&K Kissan Mazdoor Party, has challenged the “inaction” on part of the authorities to conduct the parliamentary by-poll. He said that nearly one year has passed since the vacancy was created but the election are not been conducted.
“The inaction of the respondents have denied the sizable population of their basic right of participation in democracy and denied the petitioner of his right to contest for house of people. Respondents have failed to follow the procedure laid by the law on the point, relevant section of the representation of peoples Act 1951,” he submitted.