One person died and three others were injured in parmilitary firing in Srinagar that recorded the lowest of 26 per cent turnout in the four phases of Parliamentary elections in the embattled State. The last phase of polls in Baramulla and ladakh constituencies is scheduled for May 7.
The polls were conducted under tight security amid a complete shutdown called by separatist groups who are opposing the holding of elections in the State. The police said that hundreds of youngsters including separatist workers and suspected stone-throwers had been taken into “preventive custody” to ensure smooth conduct of polls.
The constituency spread over Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts comprising 15 Assembly segments recoded moderate to brisk polling generally but many polling stations in old parts of Srinagar were not visited by many voters. In Habakadal constituency lowest of 4.3 per cent turnout was recorded while Kangan segment in Ganderbal polled maximum of 65.5 per cent votes.
The Srinagar constituency is represented by National Conference president and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah who is seeking re-election against archrivals People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Tariq Hameed Qarra. A dozen other candidates are also in fray. Even as Abdullah is likely to sail through in the constituency, observers say that the voting pattern may give sleepless nights to him until poll results are declared on May 16.
Chief Electoral Officer Umang Narula said that 26 per cent votes have been cast, an improvement of half a per cent votes polled in 2009 elections. He said Ganderbal district recorded 45.61 per cent while Srinagar and Budgam districts recorded 11.46 and 39.5 per cent votes respectively. “Around 2,500 migrant voters also exercised their franchise in special polling booths set up in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi,” Narula said.
Unlike in the past, there were no complaints of bogus voting and presence of mobile voters who used to roam around polling booths to cast votes repeatedly. The situation worsened in Nawakadal pocket of Srinagar when paramilitary CRPF opened fire in retaliation of stone-pelting by a group of protesters. One person Bashir Ahmad Bhat died in firing and three others including a woman were injured.