A day before the polling in south Kashmir’s Anantnag Parliamentary constituency, this sensitive town wears a deserted look. The shopkeepers downed shutters; schools observed half-day and Government employees scurried to homes early in the afternoon. The streets and roads were occupied by the security personnel.
The reign of terror in this south Kashmir town, 40 kilometres from Srinagar, increased after militants carried out four lethal attacks in past 10 days to create fear psychosis in the region to ensure poll-boycott. Six persons including a father-son duo and two policemen were killed in these attacks. The militants have pasted posters in the area warning the people to refrain from voting or face consequences.
The south Kashmir constituency spread on four districts—Anatnag, Shopian, Pulwama and Kulgam—is the first in Kashmir Valley to go to polls on Thursday in the five-phased election in the embattled State. The polls will decide the fate of a dozen candidates but the main contest is between Opposition People’s Democratic Party’s Mehbooba Mufti and ruling coalition’s candidate Dr Mehboob Beg who is seeking re-election.
Observers say that the recent killings, which started with attack on ruling National Conference Youth leader Yawar Masoodi’s residence at Khrew on April 13 created panic in the area. This attack was followed by three separate assaults on village representatives in Batagund, Gulzarpora and Amlar villages in Tral-Awantipora belt.
The separatist groups including three factions of Hurriyat Conference and United Jehad Council, a grouping of militant outfits have called for a poll boycott. The authorities have detained several separatist workers and curbed movement of their leaders to minimise their ability to hamper the poll process.
Police said they have received vital clues on recent attacks in Tral area. However, no arrests have been made except some close relatives of active militants have been arrested or detained for questioning. Observers say that the atmosphere of fear ahead of polling in the area would largely impact the pattern of voting and the poll result.
Mehbooba Mufti is fighting the election to restore the prestige and relevance of her party, which is out of power for the past more than five years. For the ruling coalition, the poll result would be a commentary on their performance.
Police sources said that the area domination has been highly increased in the region to frustrate militants’ designs to sabotage the process. The security has been beefed up in Tral, Anantnag and Shopian towns. More than 83 per cent of 1,600 polling stations in the vast constituency have been designated as hypersensitive or sensitive by the election authorities.