Mainstream Kashmiri leaders on Sunday reacted strongly over the postponement of Assembly polls in the State.

Questioning Election Commission’s decision National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah said,”First time since 1996 Assembly elections in J&K are not being held on time. Remember this the next time you are praising PM Modi for his strong leadership,” he tweeted.

In another tweet Omar said, “In 2014 we had Lok Sabha elections on time & Assembly elections on schedule even after the most devastating floods. Shows how badly the BJP & earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K,” Omar wrote on Twitter.

He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created a mess in Jammu & Kashmir.

“In a Balakote & Uri are not symbols of PM Modi’s handling of national security, J&K is and look at the mess he has made there. The abject surrender to anti-India forces is a crying shame.” “With the amount of international attention elections in J&K attract I never thought PM Modi would be willing to confess his failure on a global stage but we all make mistakes & that was mine,” Omar tweeted. “What happened to @rajnathsingh’s assurance to Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha as well as to the all party meeting recently in Delhi that all forces would be made available for simultaneous polls?,” Omar also wrote on Twitter.

Former Chief Minister and President Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti also opposed the decision taken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) of not holding assembly and parliament elections simultaneously in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement, Mehbooba said, “ postponement of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir is tantamount to denying basic rights of the people of the State to have a popular Government”.  “It is very dangerous to keep the state in the hands of unelected representatives of the centre.  It will further complicate the problems in the state and the decision taken by Election Commission needs an immediate review,” Mehbooba said in a statement.

The PDP president added that this was not expected of the Election Commission of India and the decision to hold Lok Sabha polls and at the same time delay Assembly elections doesn’t make any sense. “It sows the seeds suspicion among the people about the designs of the Government of India and doesn’t convey a good message to the people of Jammu & Kashmir about an independent institution like the Election Commission,” said Mehbooba.

She added that ECI’s decisions goes contrary to what the Home Minister has repeatedly said that GOI is ready to hold simultaneous elections in Jammu and Kashmir. This change in the schedule makes the entire process highly suspicious, PDP president added.

CPI (M) leader MY Tarigami in a statement said that this was done despite that almost all the political parties had urged upon the Election Commission to hold both the elections simultaneously. Not holding assembly polls will send wrong signals to people within and outside the state.

“The Chief Election Commissioner during his presser in Delhi repeatedly quoted recent incidents of violence in Kashmir as the reason for not holding Assembly polls,” said Tarigami. “If that is true, then how could be Lok Sabha polls be held? Even the J&K Governor recently said that PM Modi complimented him for “successful” conduct of the civic elections in Jammu and Kashmir. When these polls could be held, what is the logic for deferring Assembly polls?,” he said.