eci-postpones-anantnag-rajouri-ls-seat-election-to-may-25

The Election Commission of India has announced the postponement of polling at the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat from May 7 to May 25.

The postponement of polls may have an impact on the demographic of the vote-casters in the region, where parties are targeting the Gujjar, Bakarwal, and Pahari vote banks.

 

The nomadic Gujjar and Bakarwal population in the constituency, which includes Rajouri and Poonch, will migrate to higher elevations in Kashmir by mid-May and may not be able to vote.

 

The ECI said they had received several requests from different political parties in J&K seeking postponement of the date of the LS polls in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency due to logistical, communication, and natural barriers hindering the ongoing process.

 

"Which in turn tantamount to a lack of fair opportunities for the contesting candidates in the said parliamentary constituency, which may affect the poll process."

The commission, in its reply, said that after considering the report from the UT administration and analysing the ground situation in the said constituency, it has decided to defer the polls to May 25.

 

Additionally, "the commission has decided under Section 56 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, to revise the date of polling in the said constituency."

 

J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina, Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari, DPAP candidate Saleem Parray, Peoples Conference leader Imran Reza Ansari, and two independent candidates have all petitioned the EC to postpone the elections.

 

Farooq Abdullah, head of the National Conference, had said that these parties' efforts to postpone the voting were motivated by a fear of losing.

Following delimitation, the Rajouri and Poonch portions of Jammu were included in the Anantnag constituency, which is situated in Kashmir.

 

The election for the said seat will now be held on May 25th.