Two former J&K Chief Ministers, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, on Friday opposed any move to defer election for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, a day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) considered the representations made by a group of parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, for postponement.
“The ECI order to the J&K administration [to assess accessibility in Anantnag-Rajouri] has shocked me. It’s after a long-time people of J&K have reposed faith in democracy. This government has snatched everything. Don’t snatch the ballots too. Don’t repeat 1987, which left Kashmir burning, filled graveyards and impacted generations,” Ms. Mufti said.
Ms. Mufti’s statement came a day after the ECI sought a report from J&K Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P.K. Pole on “road conditions, weather and accessibility related constraints” in Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, which will go to polls in the third phase on May 7.
