Poll violence, low voter turnout in J&K: PDP appeals EC to postpone Anantnag bypoll

The PDP has appealed to the Election Commission to postpone the bypoll in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar, April 10: After violence and poor voter turnout marred Srinagar Lok Sabha bypoll on Sunday, the ruling People's Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir has asked the Election Commission to postpone the upcoming Lok Sabha bypoll in Anantnag constituency, scheduled on Wednesday.

"The PDP has appealed to the Election Commission to postpone the bypoll in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir," reported ANI on Monday.

"The April 12 bypoll in Anantnag should be postponed," said Tasaduq Mufti, brother of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is contesting the Anantnag bypoll as a candidate of the PDP. "I appeal to the EC to postpone polls till situation improves. State government also emphasised that present situation isn't conducive for polls," added Mufti.

Massive violence and a very poor turnout marred the Srinagar Lok Sabha bypoll on Sunday, while byelections for 10 assembly constituencies across eight states, including in the national capital, saw average to enthusiastic polling.

In Kashmir, eight civilians were killed and scores injured in clashes with security forces as mobs tried to attack polling stations in the Srinagar parliamentary constituency that recorded a poor seven per cent voting -- the lowest in the state in three decades.

The violence in the Lok Sabha constituency -- spread across the districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal -- left seven persons dead in three places in Budgam and one in Ganderbal.

Opposition National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and ruling PDP's Nazir Ahmed Khan are the main contestants. The seat fell vacant after the then PDP leader Tariq Hameed Karra resigned to protest against alleged atrocities on people during the 2016 agitation.

OneIndia News