ECI Defers Polling in Anantnag-Rajouri Till May 25 in View of Inclement Weather

 Srinagar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has, while accepting the plea of the BJP and some other parties, deferred the polling in Anantnag -Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency till May 25, owing to “various logistic, communication and natural barriers of connectivity”.

The polling for the seat was to be held in the third phase of elections on May 7 and former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti had opposed any change in the schedule.

The ECI said on Tuesday that various representations were received by it from different political parties of the Jammu and Kashmir for shifting the date of the polling in Anantnag-Rajouri constituency “due to various logistic, communication and natural barrier of connectivity turning out as hindrance in campaigning which in turn tantamount to lack of fair opportunities for the contesting candidates in the said Parliamentary Constituency which may affect poll process.”

It added, “The Commission, after considering report from the Union Territory 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 in respect of ongoing General Election to Lok Sabha, 2024.” It said that the polling will now be held on May 25.

While reacting to the ECI’s decision Ms. Mufti’s daughter and media advisor Iltija Mufti wrote on microblogging site ‘X’, “Anantnag - Rajouri elections postponed only because they fear Ms. Mufti will win overwhelmingly. Only because they don’t want a fearless voice in the Parliament. But we accept this challenge & will make sure she wins by a bigger margin Inshallah (God willing).”

Earlier during the day former chief minister and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) leader Ghulam Nabi Azad too had endorsed the demand that the polling in Anantnag-Rajouri should be deferred in view of persisting inclement weather.

He told reporters in the border town of Rajouri that since the Mughal Road connecting the Kashmir Valley’s Anantnag district with the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in the Jammu division has been closed following fresh snowfalls and incessant rains, it takes three days to travel from one end of the constituency to the other. “Once the Mughal Road is reopened, we can easily travel from one end to the other and hold rallies at multiple locations in a single day. However, if it remains closed, this will not be feasible,” he said.

Following the representations of the BJP, J&K Apni Party and some other groups and, at least, three candidates in the fray, the ECI had on April 25 sought reports from J&K’s Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and Chief Electoral Officer Pandurang K. Pole. Both the officials on Sunday submitted their reports to the ECI explaining the ground realities in the constituency.

Former chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah had while opposing the pleas for postponing the polling in Anantnag-Rajouri said, “I appeal to the ECI that such a step should not be taken as the demand for postponement from all parties”. He had told reporters here last week, “The weird thing is that some of the people who have written to the ECI are not contesting. If I write to the ECI about constituencies in Tamil Nadu, etc. will they take notice?”

NC candidate for Anantnag-Rajouri seat Mian Altaf Ahmad while endorsing Mr. Abdullah’s views had termed the demand for the postponement of the polling as a “collusion” against him and his party by those who foresee him winning this election “hands down”.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Ms. Mufti who is seeking election on Anantnag-Rajouri seat had said, “I’m winning this election as the people, cutting across religious and party lines, are coming forward in my support. But they do not want to see me in the Parliament and, therefore, all have ganged up against me and are trying to use the ECI to defer and rig the elections”. She had asserted that such a deferment “will result in denying a level playing field to all the parties".

J&K BJP unit president Ravinder Raina, J&K Apni party president Syed Altaf Bukhari, J&K People’s Conference leader Imran Reza Ansari and the DPAP candidate and two independents had submitted their representation to the ECI, seeking deferment of the polling. On Sunday, when Mr. Raina was asked about the BJP’s seeking deferment of polling in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency said that this has to be decided by the ECI whether to postpone the elections or not. “We have made a request to it in view of the hostile weather conditions. Mughal Road, the lone surface link between Anantnag and the Rajouri-Poonch region, has been closed following fresh snowfall and incessant rains,” he had said.