Srinagar bypoll: EC announces repoll in 38 stations, internet restored in Valley

The Election Commission on Tuesday announced that re-poll will be held on Thursday in 38 polling stations of the Srinagar Lok Sabha Constituency, which was hit by violence on Sunday. [caption id=“attachment_3377660” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] State Chief Electoral officer Shantmanu told the media here that “the decision on re-poll in 38 polling stations come from the Election Commission of India and re-poll at these polling stations would be now held on 13 April (Thursday)”. Eight civilians were killed and scores injured in firing by security forces as mobs tried to attack some polling stations in the constituency during balloting on Sunday. The day also recorded a poor seven per cent voting in a by-poll – the lowest in the state in three decades. Amid the violence, the Election Commission on Monday deferred the election in the Anantnag parliamentary constituency – scheduled to be held on 12 April – till 25 May. “The commission expects the law and order situation in the constituency to improve and become conducive to the holding of free and fair election,” it said. The by-poll to the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency – spread across three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal – was marred by widespread violence with the police claiming that nearly 200 incidents of violent protests took place in central Kashmir. Meanwhile, after remaining suspended for three days, internet services were restored in the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday evening. Authorities suspended the services on both mobile and fixed landline connections on April 9 in the valley to check the spread of rumours during voting in the Srinagar-Budgam Lok Sabha constituency. After the Election Commission decided to postpone the by-election in Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency to 25 May from 12 April, the authorities decided to restore internet services in the valley. The 9 April voting was marred by large-scale violence which left eight protesters dead in firing by security forces.