J&K Polls 2024: Mehbooba Mufti Accuses Election Commission of Favoring BJP

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of altering the vote-counting date for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Speaking to reporters at the PDP office in Srinagar, Mufti alleged that the ECI often makes decisions aligned with the BJP’s interests.

“They (ECI) do what suits the BJP. When I contested the (Lok Sabha) elections, they unnecessarily changed the date (of polling). Everything is done as per the wishes of the BJP and its proxy parties,” she said. Mufti made these remarks following the induction of several second-rung politicians into the PDP.

The Election Commission on Saturday announced that the vote-counting date for the Jammu and Kashmir elections had been moved from October 4 to October 8. This change follows the decision to shift the polling date in Haryana from October 1 to October 5 due to a festival in the state.

Regarding the transfer of senior police officers during the elections, Mufti expressed satisfaction that all officers involved were locals. She expressed hope that they would ensure a free, fair, and impartial polling process. “We all know what happened in 1987… The malpractices led to bloodshed, which has not stopped till date. I hope that all the staff involved in the election process will play their role to ensure free and fair elections,” she added.

Mufti also criticised the recent amendment to the Waqf properties act, stating that it was aimed at dispossessing Muslims of their religious properties. “Wakf means donating something in the way of Allah. Earlier, the courts would adjudicate in case of dispute; now a magistrate has been given the powers. The magistrate will do what he is told to,” she said.

On the issue of reducing the two-hour Namaz break in the Assam Assembly, Mufti condemned the decision as a “cheap act” intended to create communal tensions. “The Muslim assembly members from Assam have not spoken about it, and you expect us to make noise from here. Having said that, it is a cheap act to communalise the situation,” she stated.

The remarks come as political tensions escalate in Jammu and Kashmir, with various parties preparing for the upcoming elections amidst concerns about fairness and transparency in the electoral process.