Unrest mars polling in Srinagar

Amid violence, boycott and tight security measures, the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, which went to polls in the second phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir to seal the fate of 14 candidates on Wednesday, witnessed only 26 per cent voting. 

J&K Chief Electoral Officer, Umang Narula said that 11.46 per cent votes were cast in Srinagar, 39.50 per cent in Budgam and 45.61 per cent in Ganderbal districts. 

“Around 2,500 migrant voters also exercised their franchise in special polling booths set up in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi,” Narula told reporters, adding, “As many as 1,546 polling stations, including 233 critical and 1,021 hypersensitive ones, were set up across the Parliamentary constituency.” 

The poll boycott call by separatists and threats by militants seemed to have affected Srinagar city, where voter turnout at most polling booths was negligible till afternoon. 

Hundreds of policemen and paramilitary CRPF personnel carrying assault rifles were seen patrolling the streets of the city.

In several areas, youths threw stones at police and election officials throughout the day. One police constable sustained a head injury in a stone-pelting incident at polling station No 50 at Fatah Kadal in old Srinagar city. Stones were also hurled at vehicles ferrying election officials, reports said.

In old city’s Rajourikadal polling booth number 15, no vote had been cast till 12:40 pm.