Unprecedented security arrangements have been put in place to ensure violence free re-polling at 38 polling stations in Srinagar lok Sabha Constituency where bypoll was held on April 9 amid large scaleviolence.
Eight anti-poll protesters were killed and scores of others, including security personnel, were injured during the high scale violence triggered by the separatists’ boycott call. The Election Commission of India (ECI) postponed the subsequent bypoll in south Kashmir’s Anantnag Constituency in the backdrop of April 9 violence.
Official sources said that three District Superintendents of Police and one additional SP will be deployed in specific territories to manage the overall polling stations. “The idea is to ensure that there is no intervention in the polling stations and there is no possibilityof any sort of booth capturing,” a security official said.
“We will provide adequate security and confidence to the voters to exercise hisright of franchise.”
Around 90,000 voters, slightly more than seven percent of the totalelectorate in the Constituency cast their votes on April 9, the lowest tally in the history of lok Sabha polls for Srinagar Constituency. The lowest turnout changed discourse about the electoral process in Kashmir, observers say.
The re-poll was necessitated following complaints of violence at polling booths and seizing of Electronic Voting Machines. Some EVMs were thrown away or burnt down by the protesters. The counting of votes would take place on April 15. It would decide the fate of former Chief Minister and National Conference-Congress alliance candidate Dr FarooqAbdullah, who is pitted against ruling Peoples Democratic Party candidate Nazir Ahmad Khan. Seven more candidates are in fray.
A top election official said that Returning Officer said that no polling station has been changed. “The polling stations will be located at the places they earlier existed.”
“Security was the main concern on Sunday and that is the only aspect that is being taken care of more seriously this time. Otherwise,everything is the same,” he said.
Every polling booth will have more than two companies attached for the day long exercise. The deployment of the poll staff will take placefrom later on Thursday.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) J&K, Shantmanu said that adequate arrangements of security and videography have been made for re-poll. He said that the poll process at all the polling stations will bevideographed, besides one micro-observer from central governmentoffices will also be deputed for each polling station where re-polling is being conducted.
Meanwhile, the seven parliament candidates in the fray other than the two main contestants Farooq Abdullah and Nazir Khan jointly called forboycott in the re-polls.
At a press conference here, the candidates said they were not taken into confidence on the re-polling schedule. The separatists havecalled for shutdown in poll bound areas.