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23% voting in Kashmir; polling peaceful

Long queues formed at polling booths in Kargil today as the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency witnessed brisk voting, but the turnout in Srinagar was low against the backdrop of a few violent incidents and anti-poll demonstrations.

Unprecedented security arrangements were made for the smooth conduct of polling following a boycott call issued by the All Party Kashmir Hurriyat Conference and the militant threat to disrupt the elections.

A senior police officer said militants made an attempt to disrupt the polling, but their efforts were foiled by the security forces.

Earlier, at least five people were injured when security guards of a ruling National Conference MLA opened fire at Kandoora in Badgam district of the Srinagar constituency. The injured told journalists at the hospital in Srinagar that people at Kandoora were protesting after they were forcibly taken from their homes by the security forces to take part in the polling. They alleged that the National Conference leader asked his guards to open fire after they refused to vote.

The police burst teargas shells and resorted to a lathi charge to disperse stone-pelting demonstrators at Gaw-Kadal, Maisuma and other areas.

An official spokesman said a 55 per cent turnout was reported from the Charar-e-Sharief assembly segment while a 70 per cent turnout was reported from Leh. Voters stayed away in Batmaloo, Hazratbal, Habba Kadal, Idgah, Khanyar, Sonawar, Zadibal and Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah's constituency, Ganderbal. "What has Dr Farooq done?" screamed Ghulam Rasoll at Ganderbal. "See the condition of our area and our roads. He has never visited his constituency after 1996."

No vote was cast at more than 35 polling stations in Ganderbal, Habba Kadal and Kangan assembly segments of Srinagar till 1500 hours. Correspondents, who visited more than 50 polling stations in these three assembly segments, saw polling officials waiting for the first voter in many booths.

Polling officials at the four polling stations set up in the Hindu high school said some impersonators turned up to vote in the afternoon, but were turned away. They said not one of the 3,415 votes had been cast till then.

Two more polling booths at the nearby Vasanta girls high school, Barbar Shah, also did not see any voter.

A National Conference minister blamed the militant threat for the low polling. Shops remained shut in Srinagar and other parts of the valley.

A Hurriyat spokesman said its chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, former chairman Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Moulana Abbas N Ansari, Professor Abdul Ghani Bhat and Ghulam Hohmmas Bhat of the Awami Action Committee had been placed under house arrest since Friday morning.

Official sources said about 60 known trouble-makers were arrested from Badgam and Srinagar districts as a preventive measure. The Jammu and Kashmir police special operation group recovered more then 130 log explosives and defused three improvised explosive devices in Srinagar during the past week.

A polling booth at Harwan was razed to the ground late last night in a powerful explosion, while a blast took place in a polling booth at Rainawari. However none was injured.

Militants also exchanged fire with security forces at several places in downtown Srinagar last night. No one was injured.

J&K Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitley said 6,800 employees, based in Ladakh, were doing poll duty as no government staff were brought from other states this time.

UNI

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