Model Code of Conduct in place from March ends
Nadeem Nadu
Srinagar: The Election Commission has cancelled the May 25 Anantnag Lok Sabha bypoll in view of the “scary” situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
State government officials had informed the EC that the situation in South Kashmir “is not good, the overall situation is scary and not very conducive (to the holding of polls),” the EC said in a 10-page order issued late last night. The three-member commission cited various rules of the Representation of the People Act and the Constitution while rescinding its earlier order for holding polls to the Lok Sabha seat which fell vacant last July after Mehbooba Mufti took over as the chief minister of the state. The deteriorating law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley has forced the Election Commission of India to cancel the by-election to Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency for the second time today.
The bypoll to the seat, fallen vacant due to the resignation of Ms Mehbooba Mufti, was earlier slated to be held on April 12, but was deferred to May 25 at the request of the State Administration.
In an order issued after midnight, the ECI said that it has decided to rescind the notifications issued for holding the bypoll on May 25 on the basis of various reports and representations, besides assessment of its own team that apprehended violence, breakdown of law and order in the State if the polling took place.
As per ECI, May being the month of Ramzan, Amarnath Yatra and the tourist season, holding of bypoll was not advisable. It also said that the Home Ministry has expressed inability to provide adequate number of Central Para Military forces for deployment during the election.
The ECI took the decision after a detailed analysis of the situation in which it conducted several video conferences with CEO of J&K, and the State Administration, and factored in the inputs from the political parties and candidates.
The ECI said the MHA reports also show further deterioration of law and order in the State as the polling machinery including the polling stations such as schools, gram panchayats and other buildings under Anantnag parliamentary constituency had already been attacked.
Moreover, the ECI could not get the required number of paramilitary forces for conducting the poll. As against 687 companies asked by the ECI, the Home Ministry said it could provide only 250 numbers of additional CAPF companies.
The poor turnout of voters and the violence during the Srinagar bypoll was also taken into account by the ECI for deciding not to go ahead with the Anantnag byelection on May 25. The Anantnag Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after the resignation of the incumbent MP and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti last year, who took over as chief minister of the state. Her brother Mufti Tassaduq Hussain will be contesting from the seat. The ruling party had petitioned the EC to defer the polls indefinitely in the constituency in the wake of violence in the valley. With the cancellation of elections, the Model Code of Conduct that was in place from March ended with today’s ECI order.
An official in JK’s electoral office said that with cancellation of by-polls means, the Model Code of Conduct has ended.
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