Jammu : The Election Commission on Thursday postponed the May 16 bypoll to Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag assembly constituency on the state government’s request.
Announcing postponement of the bye-election, a poll panel statement said new date would be announced later.
The decision came after the Mehbooba Mufti state government wrote to it, saying the situation was not conducive for holding the bye-election.
The Election Commission on Tuesday announced that voting for bye-elections to Anantnag assembly seat that fell vacant because of the death of sitting member and chief minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, would be held on May 16.
The announcement had taken the state government by surprise. Even the state’s chief electoral officer, Shantmanu had reportedly learnt about the EC decision through media reports.
Former state chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday today took a dig at the Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government, saying it was afraid of facing the people.
Immediately after learning about the EC decision to postpone the bye-election, he tweeted: “It’s an admission both of how bad things have become under @mehbooba_mufti & how petrified she is of facing the people in the by-election.”