'Sheer Nervousness Of Delhi': PDP, Mehbooba Mufti Slam Anantnag-Rajouri Poll Date Change

Jammu Kashmir PDP as well as the former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti have slammed the BJP government and the Election Commission for deferring the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha election. PDP spokesperson Mohit Bhan, reacting to the Election Commission's decision to postpone the election in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, stated, "The sheer nervousness of Delhi, after witnessing overwhelming support for Mehbooba Mufti, has forced them to change the election date and facilitate the proxy parties of BJP to engage in murky business within the electoral process."

He claimed to have seen a video in which Pahari community voters were threatened not to vote for Mufti, and if they did, they would face action akin to that in 1947. Political leaders said that the memories of 1987 are fresh when the popular mandate was silenced, and Jammu and Kashmir, along with the country, was plunged into a dark era of death and destruction, weakening the democratic structure and paving the way for a prolonged insecure border, resulting in a volatile atmosphere.

"Denying procedural space for people to exercise their franchise after gerrymandering the entire constituency shows how Delhi is aware of people’s mood and their failed narrative of Naya Kashmir," said Bhan.

It is worth mentioning here that the Election Commission of India, on Tuesday, revised the polling date for the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary constituency from May 7 to May 25. An Election Commission official said that after considering the report of the Union Territory Administration as well as analyzing the prevailing ground situation in the said constituency, it has decided to revise the date of polling in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat to May 25.

Several political parties of Jammu and Kashmir, including BJP, PDP, Apni Party, and Ghulam Nabi Azad's DPAP party, had cited the weather and asked the Election Commission to postpone voting in the area until the weather improves and Mughal Road opens.

Before the change of the election date, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, who is also a candidate from the area, had alleged that all this was being done to buy and threaten voters.

Along with Mufti, National Conference has also opposed the change in the date of elections. NC Vice President Omar Abdullah also said that this has been done to help some proxy parties of BJP and we are opposing this. Omar had said that we have all the options open, we will knock the doors of the court.

Meanwhile, PDP has also demanded action against the release of the video containing hate speech and action against the people making statements in the video. This complaint was sent to Returning Officer 3-Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary Constituency (Deputy Commissioner Anantnag).

"After the hate video went viral and the PDP’s letter along with the statement and video became public, the BJP took immediate action and expelled the man seen in the video from the party for 6 years and initiated an inquiry against him,” the letter issued by BJP President Ravinder Raina reads.