The Election Commission of India on Tuesday postponed polling in the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary seat to May 25 from May 7, after the BJP, which is not even in the fray, and some other parties made such a request.

The EC, among other things, cited logistical issues owing to adverse weather conditions.

Key players such as the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were against any postponement, which they said smacked of a conspiracy to play with the elections.

“Various representations have been received from different political parties of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir for the shifting of the poll dates due to various logistic, communication and the natural barrier of connectivity turning out as hindrance in campaigning,” the poll panel said in a notification.

“(This) in turn tantamount to lack of fair opportunities for the contesting candidates in the said parliamentary constituency which may affect the poll process,” it added.

The commission said it had decided to revise the date “after considering a report from the UT administration as well as analysing the ground situation prevailing in the said constituency”.

The poll panel had asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to submit a detailed report on road conditions, weather and accessibility to the region, which covers parts of south Kashmir and areas in Poonch and Rajouri in the Jammu region.

The EC decision has triggered a backlash.

“Postponing elections and denying democratic space to the people of Jammu and Kashmir has become the new norm. The least the government could have offered Kashmiris was the right to elect. This denial is simply unacceptable,” PDP leader and its Srinagar candidate Waheed Para posted on X.

The commission had received representations from the BJP and seven other parties or individuals, most of whom are believed to be enjoying Delhi’s patronage.

Warning the commission against postponing the polls last week, former chief minister and PDF president Mehbooba Mufti had said the administration had ganged up against her and wanted to rig the election.

“This (postponing) will send the wrong message and will have serious consequences,” she had said.

Earlier in the day, Mehbooba, who is a PDP candidate from Anantnag, uploaded a video where a BJP leader in Rajouri was purportedly seen issuing threats to Muslims to vote for its ally Apni Party or face the music.

“Is this why the BJP wants to defer the Anantnag-Rajouri election so that its leaders can openly threaten violence against Paharis (Muslims) to force them to vote for Apni Party or else they will create communal tensions reminiscent of the 1947 partition?” she said in a post, requesting the commission to ensure timely elections.