JKNPP asks voters to defy poll boycott call by separatists

Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party on Sunday appealed to people of Hazratbal not to pay heed to poll boycott call by separatists and asked them to exercise their franchise in the bypoll slated in the assembly constituency on June 3.

Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) on Sunday appealed to people of Hazratbal not to pay heed to poll boycott call by separatists and asked them to exercise their franchise in the bypoll slated in the assembly constituency on June 3.

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"Past 20 years of death and destruction has proved beyond doubt that change can be brought by ballot and not by bullets. Hence we appeal to voters to turn up in strength for polling on June 3," JKNPP Chief Bhim Singh said in Srinagar.

"It is the duty of people to thwart such call (by separatists) and come out in large numbers for casting their votes," he said.

Bypoll in the constituency was necessitated after National Conference President Farooq Abdullah got elected to the Rajya Sabha and resigned from his assembly membership. Abdullah has since been elected to Lok Sabha and was inducted as the New and Renewable Energy Minister.

The byelection was originally scheduled for May 7 but was postponed till May 30 as Election Commission cancelled notification for the bypoll as the then returning officer had accepted "improper" nomination of NC candidate Sheikh Mustafa Kamal.

However, the bypoll was again resheduled to June 3 following request by Hindu community to enable them to celebrate 'Mela Khir Bhawani'.