Polling for the fifth and the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir began in the north Kashmir constituency of Baramulla-Kupwara with grenade attacks on the polling stations in Pattan segment, coupled with stone-pelting at over a dozen voting booths on Wednesday.
In the first attack, a grenade exploded close to a polling station in Palhalan. At least one CRPF constable sustained minor injuries. Another grenade was fired in Tapar, a garrison area in Pattan, on Srinagar-Baramulla highway. However, it exploded far away from the polling station and did not cause any damage.
Anti-election demonstrators attacked polling station and clashed with the police and the CRPF in Pattan, Sopore, Baramulla and Sumbal Sonawari segments of northern Kashmir, reports said
Sharief-ud-din Shariq of the ruling National Conference-Congress coalition, PDP’s Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Peoples Conference’s Salam-ud-din Bajad and independent MLA Engineer Rashid are in the fray.
Reports said that polling was picking up at a modest note in entire Kupwara district though clashes between the demonstrators and the police were reported from Baramulla and Bandipore districts.
The turnout at 9.00 am was 5% in Kupwara, 3.63% in Baramulla, 2.3% in Bandipore, 6.1% in Leh and 5% in Kargil districts, an official spokesman said.
Polling is also in progress in Ladakh where Thupstan Chhewang (BJP), Tsering Samphel of Congress-NC alliance besides two independent candidates - Syed Mohammad Kazim Sabri and Ghulam Raza are testing their electoral fortunes.
