From low to no voting Anantnag under security cover
From low to no voting Anantnag under security cove
On Tuesday morning, police and officials said that voters in Anantnag district were not showing any interest so far in the morning hours. There is unprecedented security cover to hold first poll in south kashmir after the summer unrest of 2016 triggered by Burhan wani killing.
Residents in most parts of the district in restive south Kashmir had stayed indoors so far, an official said.
While polling is under way in Anantnag district, voting in Kulgam district will be held on April 29 while Pulwama and Shopian districts will go to polls on May 6.
The Election Commission has curtailed the polling duration for 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.
The Anantnag district has 5,29,256 electors, including 2,69,603 males, 2,57,540 females, 2,102 service electors and 11 transgender voters.
The EC has also established 1,842 polling stations to facilitate smooth polling, the official said.
The Anantnag constituency has 13,97,272 registered voters, including 7,20,337 males, 672879 females and 35 transgender voters.
There are 18 candidates in the fray for Anantnag constituency, including PDP president and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti.
The Congress has fielded its state president Ghulam Ahmad Mir while former High Court judge Hasnain Masoodi is contesting on the National Conference ticket.
The other prominent candidate in the fray is former MLC Sofi Yousuf of the BJP.
Mehbooba Mufti has been playing soft separatist, desperately trying to hold back south kashmir. She has demanded release of ailing Yaseen Malik and has even tweeted against the nuclear button comment of PM Narinder Modi. Trying to show people of south kashmir that she is pro pakistani she tweeted if India has not kept nuclear weapons for Diwali, Pakistan has not kept his nuclear weapons for eid either.
During her entire poll campaign in Anantnag parliamentary segment, she has asked people to give her another chance in both parliamentary and state elections so that she can take corrective measures to come up to the expectations of general public.
