The Election Commission on Tuesday cancelled the Anantnag bye-poll, saying the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was not feasible at the moment to hold an election. Earlier, the polling panel had postponed the bye-poll to the Lok Sabha constituency to May 25. It was initially scheduled for April 12. The EC did not indicate when the bye-poll will be held.

The decision was made after the Srinagar bye-election on April 9 (pictured above) was marked by violence and a record low voter turnout. Eight people had died in clashes on the day of polling.

The Election Commission had sought 750 companies of paramilitary forces from the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure security during polling on May 25. However, an official had told The Indian Express that the ministry had approved the deployment of only 300 companies, which is around 30,000 security personnel.

The bye-election in Anantnag was necessitated after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti won the Assembly bye-poll in June last year and gave up her Lok Sabha seat. The Assembly seat had fallen vacant after her father and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed died in January last year.