Anantnag records 13.61% polling; Cop killed, courtesy stone pelting

LS Polls Phase-III

SRINAGAR: Recording a massive dip as compared to 2014, a voter turnout of 13.61 per cent was recorded Tuesday in the Anantnag Parliamentary constituency where polls were held in first of the three phases due to security reasons.

While there were no major incident of violence reported during the curtailed poll hours, the stone-pelting after the voting ended resulted in a vehicle carrying ITBP troops meeting an accident, killing its driver, while 13 others officials suffered injuries.

The Anantnag district of the constituency went to polls in the first phase today, while voting in the Kulgam district of the constituency will be held on April 29 and in Pulwama and Shopian districts on May 6.

Only 13.61 percent of total 5.29 voters in the district exercised their franchise to seal the fate of 18 candidates in the fray, including PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, Congress’ state president Ghulam Ahmad Mir, and former High Court judge Hasnain Masoodi.

"The polling percentage in Anantnag district, of Anantnag Parliamentary constituency, which went to polls today (Tuesday), has been recorded at 13.61 per cent," Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shailendra Kumar told reporters here.

Kumar said the polling remained peaceful. He complimented all stakeholders for the smooth conduct of the polls in the district which comprises six assembly segments: Anantnag, Bijbehara, Dooru, Kokernag, Pahalgam, and Shangus.

Giving details of the poll percentage, the CEO said the Pahalgam assembly segment witnessed the highest poll percentage of 20.37 per cent (17,649 votes polled), while Bijbehara recorded the lowest percentage of 2.04 per cent (1,905 votes).

The Anantnag assembly segment registered a poll percentage of 3.47 per cent (3,004 votes cast), Dooru 17.28 per cent (13,598 votes), Kokernag 19.5 per cent (18,312 votes), and Shangus 15.1 per cent (13,354 votes), he said.

Kumar said a total of 71,777 votes, including 4,101 migrant votes, were polled in the third phase of the polls.

"The exact figure will be clear tomorrow after evaluating all the M-forms (for migrant voters)," the CEO said.

The Election Commission has curtailed the polling duration for the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency by two hours following a request from the state police to this effect.

The voting will be held in south Kashmir areas from 7 am to 4 pm.

Kumar said the Tuesday's voting percentage in Anantnag district was less compared to 2014 Lok Sabha polls which had recorded 39.37 per cent.

He said an electorate of 5.27 lakh including 2.69 lakh male and 2.57 lakh female were voters eligible to cast their votes. He said 714 polling stations were set up across the district. Twenty-one polling stations were also set up for migrant voters.

The number of first-time voters for the district was 54,663, while 24,536 were in the age group of 18-21 years, Kumar said.

The CEO informed that the total percentage of voting till date in various parliamentary constituencies in the state including Baramulla, Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur and Anantnag was recorded at 48.87 percent.

The CEO complimented voters, political parties, contesting candidates, media, polling staff and security forces for smooth and peaceful conduct of polling in the state.

While there were reports of clashes between supporters of PDP and NC inside a polling booth at Bijbehara over the identity of a lady who attempted to cast her vote without having a proper identification card, a number of instances of stone pelting took place after the polling ended.

A TATA 407 vehicle driving back the polling staff from one Kokernag station came under intense pelting, which led to driver of the vehicle losing control over the steering.

The vehicle plunged into a gorge near Zalangam, resulting in on the spot death of the Selection Grade Constable Hilal Ahmad Khan of Tral, Pulwama and injuries to 13 other persons including Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel on board it.

Officials said reinforcements were rushed to the place of incident and they saved the jawans from hundreds of stone-pelters.

Another accident took place at Sagam, allegedly caused after a group of youth pelted stones on a vehicle carrying poll staff and security force personnel.

At least seven persons were injured in this accident.