Sensing defeat, PDP kept Anantnag seat vacant: Cong

Tribune News Service

Srinagar April 19

The Congress has blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for deferring and cancelling the bypoll to the Anantnag parliamentary constituency, which continued to remain vacant for nearly three years following Mehbooba Mufti’s resignation after taking over as the J&K Chief Minister.

State Congress president and candidate for Anantnag seat Ghulam Ahmad Mir said this while addressing election meetings in the Shangus Assembly segment of Anantnag district in south Kashmir on Friday.

“The PDP got the bypoll cancelled after sensing defeat. The PDP leadership was well aware that it would lose the seat and it tactfully ensured deferment of poll and then got it cancelled under the garb of a disturbing situation,” Mir said. He said rather than creating a congenial atmosphere, the PDP “played tricks and ensured cancellation of the poll” with the full support of the Central government.

Mir said the people of the state experienced “misrule” on the part of the PDP-BJP coalition government during which no development took place while the growth process started by Congress government at the Centre had been badly affected.