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After the violence broke out in Kashmir during the bypoll in Srinagar on Sunday, the election commission on Monday deferred the Anantnag election to 25 May.
Prohibitory orders were imposed in twin districts of Budgam and Ganderbal in central Kashmir where eight persons were killed during polling for Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.
He said that while there were no curbs imposed in the summer capital, security forces have been deployed in strength at sensitive places across the city to prevent any untoward incident.
After two schools were set ablaze ahead of Anantnag bypolls, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has appealed to the Election Commission to postpone the elections in the district.
J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s brother Tasaduq Mufti, who is also a candidate, urged the EC to cancel the polls and suggest another date.
Reacting to Mufti’s statement, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted:
In order to disrupt the bypolls in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on 12 April, miscreants set ablaze government schools that were designated as polling booths.
On Monday, a Government Middle School in Shopian was set on fire by unknown persons while another school in Pulwama was gutted.
Security has been beefed up in and around schools and colleges where the voting will be conducted.
Separatists have called for a two-day shutdown and protest against civilian killings in Kashmir’s central Budgam district on Sunday.
Markets, public transports, education institutions and other businesses remained closed in Srinagar and other places in the Valley.
Polling on Srinagar’s Lok Sabha seat on Sunday led to the deaths of eight protestors and injured around 30 individuals.
Security personnel fired at a mob in the Valley’s Budgam district after the demonstrators damaged EVMs and prevented people from casting their votes in around 100 places.
Chief Electoral Officer Shant Manu on Sunday said re-poll would be held at 50 to 100 polling stations where violence had resulted in the disruption of polling process.
There was also a dismal voters’ turnout which only stood at 6.5 percent and is being called the worst poll figure in 30 years of J&K’s electorate history.
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