The Election Commission of India has rescheduled the Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri constituency from May 7 to May 25.
In its announcement, the Election Commission stated that multiple political parties requested the date change due to logistical challenges, communication issues, and natural obstacles that hinder campaigning, potentially compromising the fairness of the electoral process.
Initially, the Anantnag-Rajouri seat was set to be voted in the third phase of the elections, but it will now occur in the sixth phase on May 25.
The Election Commission asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to provide a detailed report on road conditions, weather, and accessibility to the region, which includes parts of South Kashmir and areas in Poonch and Rajouri in the Jammu region.
Former chief ministers of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah (National Conference) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) had previously requested the Election Commission not to postpone the elections.
Abdullah opposed postponing the elections, pointing out that not all parties agreed with the change. Mehbooba Mufti, running against National Conference candidate Mian Altaf in Anantnag-Rajouri, accused her opponents of conspiring against her by using the Election Commission to delay and manipulate the elections.
