The Hindu : National : Poll boycott mars voting in Srinagar; rural Kashmir responds better

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Poll boycott mars voting in Srinagar; rural Kashmir responds better

Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR: Keeping its date with the boycott politics, the Srinagar city on Thursday by and large stayed away from polling for the Lok Sabha in the fourth phase. However, the rural part of Srinagar-Budgam constituency participated substantially, though not at the level seen in the last Assembly elections. The voter turnout, according to officials, touched 24 per cent.

Chief Electoral Officer B. R. Sharma said that polling went on smoothly without any untoward incident. “We received 15 complaints but all were found incorrect,” he said. Kashmir zone IGP B. Sirinivas said that eight people were arrested in Nagin area as they were not supposed to be in that polling booth. “We are investigating the matter,” he said. Mr. Sharma said that Charar-e-Sharief segment in Budgam witnessed the highest turnout of 56 per cent while Kangan recorded a 44 per cent participation.

It was followed by 35 per cent in Beerwah, 34 in Ganderbal and 33 in Khan Sahib. The lowest turnout was 1. 75 per cent, recorded in Habba Kadal in Srinagar city. The number at Eidgah, Amira Kadal and Khanyar remained low at around 7 per cent.

The highest in a city was in Sonwar which recorded 25.24 per cent. This segment also went to by-polls for the Assembly. Amid tight security arrangements and house arrest of separatist leaders, voting in the constituency began at a dull note but picked up later in the day. However, Srinagar city, which has eight Assembly segments, remained indifferent to the exercise. The streets dotted with CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel wore a deserted look and the nerve points dividing the Assembly constituencies were sealed and no civilian movement was allowed.

In Nawakadal area at six polling stations, only 95 voters out of around 8000 turned up. “Not a single voter turned up at this booth,” said Mushtaq Ahmad Rather, presiding officer at Reshanhar polling booth in Eidgah constituency. It had 595 votes. In most of the rural part of the constituency, however, the voting was moderate to brisk. Long queues were seen at polling stations in Charar-e-Sharief, Khan Sahib, Kangan and Ganderbal. Enthusiasm among voters was visible.

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