A thick security blanket has been put up in the central Kashmir districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal which are scheduled to go for polls on Wednesday in the fourth phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources told Deccan Herald extraordinary security measures have been taken in view of ‘threat’ posters put up by militant groups and explosions near the venue of National Conference (NC) election rallies at Khanyar in Srinagar and Magam in Budgam on Sunday.

The posters put up by the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Al-Umar militant organisations appeared in several areas of the city warning voters to stay away from the polling. 

In Srinagar city, barricades and security checkpoints were set up at various places, and security personnel were seen frisking pedestrians and checking vehicles across central Kashmir. Police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were checking vehicles, particularly two-wheelers, in almost all parts of Srinagar. Pedestrians were being asked to prove their identity. Reports of heightened security were also received from Budgam and Ganderbal districts.

Sources said at least 231 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed for election duties in the Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary constituency going to polls on April 30.

 Violence had marred the polling in south Kashmir’s Anantnag-Pulwama constituency on Thursday where a polling officer was killed and five others injured when militants attacked a CRPF vehicle in Shopian district immediately after polling ended. 

An army major, a soldier and three militants were killed just a day after the polling in the same district in a 20-hour long gunfight.

As per the new schedule, the polling time will be from 7 am to 5 pm instead of 7 am to 6 pm.