SRINAGAR: The early heavy snowfall that lashed the valley yesterday has brought lot of pressure on the election machinery, with the pro-India National Conference (NC) demanding poll postponement.
The poll machinery is toiling harder to put in place logistics, with two days left for the first phase of seven phase voting process which begins here on Nov. 17.
Officials admit the poll arrangements have come under heavy strain with yesterday’s snowfall. The state authorities are busy putting in place extraordinary arrangements, so that the poll parties reach the most difficult areas of Gurez and the Bandipore belt and in Ladakh region of the state, which go to polls on Monday in the first phase, and which are now under a thick blanket of snow.
The NC yesterday urged the Election Commission (EC) to postpone till March next year the state assembly polls in view of the heavy snowfall. In a statement, NC President Omar Abdullah said, “The vagaries of the weather will not permit the poll process to be conducted smoothly.”
“The electorate will not be able to exercise their franchise and the political parties will not be able to campaign in view of the snowfall not only in the upper reaches of the valley, but also in Srinagar, which has never ever witnessed such a heavy snowfall in the middle of November,” Omar said in the statement.
The NC president said that in view of the weather conditions prevailing in the valley and also in the upper reaches of Jammu region and Ladakh, the Election Commission of India should take a view, and postpone the elections to March-April next year because by then the weather will improve and a free, fair and smooth election process will be possible.
Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami at his press conference here had expressed his worry over the weather, but at the same time had assured of arrangements in case of bad weather.
The white flakes started dancing down the skies from early Thursday, beginning with the northern upper reaches including the famous ski resort of Gulmarg.
By yesterday morning, the white blanket had covered the valley with heavy snowfall bringing it under its sweep. The surprise of early snowfall is writ on everybody’s face as the people were not yet prepared to face the snow and chill it brought in with it.
The movement of people in the capital city and other towns was also affected by an undeclared curfew to thwart a separatist rally here yesterday. Shops are closed here and both private and public transport is off the roads.
Yesterday’s rally had been called by senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani who was to return here after treatment in New Delhi yesterday. Geelani, however, couldn’t return here because of heavy snowfall in the valley.
