Sluggish voting in Srinagar

Only 17 percent votes were polled in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency Wednesday, officials said.

The turnout at 46.5 percent was the highest in the Kangan assembly segment.
Of the total 12.04 lakh voters, 2,08,899 had exercised their franchise till 2 p.m.

National Conference candidate Farooq Abdullah along with his son, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and other members of his family cast ballots at the Burnhall polling station in the city.

Nearly 27,000 migrant voters are also registered in this Lok Sabha constituency.
The assembly segment-wise break-up till 2 p.m. was: Kangan 46.5 percent, Ganderbal 20.16 percent, Hazratbal 10.13 percent, Zadibal 4.05 percent, Idgah 6.96 percent, Khanyar 8.16 percent, Habba Kadal 3.41 percent, Amira Kadal 5.36 percent, Sonawar, 11.97 percent, Batmaloo 8.47 percent, Chadoora 22.19 percent, Budgam 21.01 percent, Beerwah 27.62 percent, Khansahib 21.05 percent and Charar-e-Sharief 40 percent.

The turnout in Amira Kadal, Batmaloo, Habba Kadal, Sonawar, Hazratbal, Khanyar, Zadibal and Idgah was affected to a large extent after separatists asked people to boycott the polls.

However, hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani's call for a 'civil curfew' evoked no response.

Villagers in Ganderbal and Budgam defied the boycott call and came out to vote.
No incident of violence was reported from anywhere in the constituency, though a poll official was injured in stone-pelting in Darish Kadal area of Srinagar late Tuesday.

The movement of tourists to the hill stations of Sonmarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam remained unaffected as taxis plied normally.

Farooq Abdullah is seeking re-election from the constituency. He faces Tariq Hamid Karra of the Peoples Democratic Party.

In 2009, Srinagar recorded 25.25 percent voting.