Srinagar : The Election Commission’s decision to postpone the voting for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat to the sixth phase on May 25 has sparked outrage among the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC).
Both parties have expressed strong opposition to the move, with senior leaders accusing the Commission of favoring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies.
PDP, led by Mehbooba Mufti, reacted vehemently to the postponement, asserting that no matter what obstacles arise, Mufti’s victory as MP is inevitable. Meanwhile, NC Vice President Omar Abdullah condemned the decision, alleging that it was a deliberate attempt to benefit the BJP and its allies.
Raising concerns over postponement of polls, Mehbooba criticized the lack of explanation from officials and questioned their motives. She said there seems to be collusion at play between these officials and the Election Commission of India (ECI) to manipulate the electoral process. “The government has deliberately extended the election date here to make this path hazardous for me. Despite facing economic hardships themselves, my workers are spending money from their own pockets to sponsor my campaign. The officers who have delayed the polls have not provided any reasons for this. It raises questions about whether these officers are also colluding with the ECI?,” Mehbooba asked.
Omar Abdullah said that an attempt is being made to benefit BJP and its allies. Otherwise, there is no reason to postpone the elections. He criticized the Election Commission for disregarding the concerns raised by political parties and accused them of favoritism.
Responding to another question about the party’s strength and its chances of victory in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, he said, “All I can say is, I have full faith in the people. We have full faith in Allah.” NC candidate and former minister Mian Altaf Ahmed also criticized the ECI, claiming that he had never seen such an example of election postponement in the history of elections.
Altaf told reporters, “There is no such example in history where elections have been postponed. I have never heard of elections being postponed just because of landslides. This is the first time this has happened. This is an undemocratic step.”
He alleged that people’s anger against the system will further increase. There is no justification for such a step. The seat, created after delimitation by adding the people of Anantnag with the Rajouri-Poonch belt, is unjust and cruel. People have already felt it. They are unhappy with this. This is just an excuse. The Election Commission has postponed the elections for the rescheduled Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, which was originally scheduled for May 7, until May 25.
On the Election Commission deferring the Lok Sabha polls in the Lok Sabha polls in the newly created Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency, Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that by deferring the polls, the government of India has accepted their many mistakes. “Boundaries were not fixed properly during the delimitation…. It created problems for the system as well as the people. And that their delimitation process, especially for the Lok Sabha was wrong”
The Anantnag-Rajouri seat has garnered significant attention due to the high-profile contest between PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti and NC’s candidate Mian Altaf.
PDP President Mehbooba Mufti’s media advisor and daughter, Iltija Mufti, took to social media to denounce the postponement, alleging that it was motivated by fear of Mufti’s overwhelming victory. She vowed to overcome the challenge and ensure Mufti’s triumph with a significant margin
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