Jammu and Kashmir High Court gives Centre 2 more weeks to reply on Anantnag by-poll deferment

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has again granted a two-week extension to Union home ministry to reply to a petition seeking by-election in Anantnag parliamentary seat, which deferred due to unrest earlier this year. The Centre had sought some more time to the reply and Justice Tashi Rabstan granted the extension after hearing the plea of Assistant Solicitor General of India Tahir Majid Shamshi. The bypoll scheduled on April 13 was deferred for a month and then indefinitely after eight civilians were killed on election day in Srinagar on April 9, recording meager 7.14% turnout.

The parliamentary seat fell vacant after Mehbooba Mufti resigned from her Lok Sabha seat to head the state after death of her father Mufti Sayed.

Six candidates including Ghulam Ahmad Mir of the Congress, Tasaduq Muti of the PDP, Sanjay Kumar Dhar of the Rashtriya Samajwadi Party, two independent candidates Rakesh Koul and Sajad Ahmad Dar and petitioner Ghulam Muhammad Wani, a candidate from Kisan Mazdoor Party, were in the fray.

The EC first deferred the election till May fearing law and order problem in South Kashmir. Scores of booths too had to be relocated due to security reasons. EC has to issue a new notification inviting nominations as and when polls takes place. Wani has challenged inaction on part of government informing that more than a year has passed since the vacancy was created.