Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 12: Seven independent candidates who are contesting from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency today questioned the fairness of re-polling that is scheduled to take place on 38 Polling Stations in Budgam district tomorrow and urged people not to take part in these polls.
Speaking to reporters here, one of the seven independent candidates Mirza Sajjad Hussain Beigh said it is disappointing that Election Commission of India announced re-polling in 38 polling stations. “This is not election but selection,” he said.
“The office of the Election Commission of India is an individual office but yesterday it proved that it is not an individual office. Tassaduq Mufti (PDP-BJP candidate) said elections should not be held at Anantnag and the polls didn’t happen. So, it no more remained an individual office. This is unfortunate,” he said.
Beigh said if the ECI deferred by-polls in Anantnag due to security reasons because of killings why same wasn’t done in Budgam. “If in Anantnag they deferred the by-polls due to security reasons because of killings but didn’t killings occur in Budgam?” he asked and castigated Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for misleading them about ground situation.
Asking people to stay indoors tomorrow on re-polling day in Budgam district, Beigh said: “We ask people don’t press our buttons on EVMs and boycott polls. They (Government) took wrong decisions. We ask youth to stay at home so that no damage takes place,” he said.
Beigh said by boycotting the by-elections the people have shown with whom they are but added that they, the independents, are with India. “We (independents) are with India but CM has been giving wrong statements (about 5 percent are with violence). Polling comes and goes. We cannot kill our brothers for our polling. Our brothers’ safety is more important than our polling,” he added.
The seven independents who have asked people to boycott re-polling include Mirza Sajjad Hussain Beigh, Haji Ghulam Hassan Dar, Er Sajjad Rasheed, Cheetan Sharma, Bikram Singh, Mehraj Khursheed Malik and Farooq Ahmad Dar.
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