PDP asks EC to indefinitely defer Anantnag bypoll

Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asked the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday to indefinitely postpone the Lok Sabha byelection in Anantnag after violence during a similar poll in Srinagar left eight dead and many injured.

The plea was made by Tasaduq Mufti, brother of CM Mehbooba Mufti and the PDP candidate in Anantnag, during a video conference with EC.

Tasaduq had made a similar appeal and asked for deferment before the polls on April 12. The elections were tentatively scheduled for May 25.

The EC had organised the video conference with all contesting candidates to ascertain their views about holding the polls on May 25.

Mufti earlier said that the state government had also formally written to the poll panel that elections couldn’t be held in the current climate.

Separatists have given a boycott call amid anger among the local population after stone pelting and rioting disrupted polling in Srinagar on Sunday, which saw a paltry turnout of 7.14%, the lowest in decades. Mehbooba on Tuesday directed security agencies to undertake youth counselling and ensure that no collateral damage takes place while dealing with day-today law-and-order situations.

According to an official statement, she specifically directed that culprits be brought to justice if found involved in harassing a community or section of society in the name of a social cause.

Chairing a meeting of the Unified Headquarters here, Mehbooba directed security agencies to improve the public-security force interface and make it a regular affair.

“She said that holding of counselling sessions for youth would not only help them ally apprehensions and misgivings about the system but would also give security agencies a chance to reach out to people through community policing,’’ the statement said.