SRINAGAR : Uncertainty hangs heavy over the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.
The BJP, along with several other parties and two candidates, has petitioned the Election Commission of India (EC) seeking a postponement of the polls, citing accessibility concerns. However, J&K’s two primary political entities, the National Conference and the PDP, have vehemently opposed any delay in polls, threatening legal action if they are deferred without considering the broader spectrum of opinions, including those not contesting the seat.
The EC has requested a report from J&K chief secretary Atal Dulloo and chief electoral officer PK Pole regarding the road and weather conditions, as well as other accessibility-related challenges pertaining to the Anantnag-Rajouri seat. The constituency, scheduled for polling in the third phase on May 7, has come under scrutiny following representations from various parties, including the Peoples Conference, BJP, Apni Party, J&K Nationalist People’s Front, Advocate Mohammad Saleem Parray, and two independent candidates, expressing apprehensions about accessibility issues on the Mughal Road.
Surprisingly, neither the BJP nor the People’s Conference has fielded any candidates in the seat. yet both have actively participated in the discourse, indirectly supporting the candidacy of Apni Party’s Zaffar Manhas.
With 21 candidates in the fray, including prominent figures like PDP chief and former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti, NC leader Mian Altaf, Apni Party’s Zaffar Manhas, and Advocate Mohammad Parray of DPAP, the uncertainty surrounding the election’s fate has intensified.
NC vice-president Omar Abdullah has urged the EC not to defer the polls, questioning the legitimacy of demands from parties not directly involved in the electoral process. He emphasized that the accessibility concerns raised regarding the Mughal Road are unsubstantiated, suggesting alternative routes are available.
Request to EC
The EC has got representations from the Peoples Conference, BJP, Apni Party, J&K Nationalist People’s Front, Advocate Mohammad Saleem Parray, and two independent candidates, to postpone the polls