Srinagar
Low poll has led electoral authorities to skip live broadcast of polling stations falling in Kashmir part of the Lok Sabha constituency. The facility is available for only six polling stations, all for migrant voters, put up in various parts of Jammu.
By and large all these polling stations being telecast live through the Election Commission facility, have the staff sitting idle and gossiping. Not many voters were visiting.
Most of the polling stations in Kashmir falling in three districts of central Kashmir have not polled much, so far. The state government that issued a participation related statement by 3 pm, about the 1 pm tally, suggest the poll percentage was 4.98 percent. The entire segment has a total of 1261395 registered voters.
The statement said by 1.00 pm 62891voters had exercised their right of franchise.
In Srinagar District, Hazratbal segment recorded 1892 votes, Khanyar 1402, Habba Kadal 1627, Eidgah 278, Zadibal 2516, Amira Kadal 2614, Sonwar 3490, Batamaloo 3234, thus recording 17053 votes which include 10760 male and 6293 female voters.
In Budgam district, Chadoora segment recorded 462 votes, Budgam 7859, Beerwah 9835, Khansahib 7450 and Chrar-e-Sharief 1521 aggregating total of 27127 votes polled in the district, which include 22729 male and 4398 female voters.
In Ganderbal district, the Kangan segment recorded 12196 and Ganderbal segment recorded 6515 votes including 11116 male and 7595 female electorates.
While most of the polling stations have reported calm with few or no voters visiting them, there are lot many stations that witnessed intense clashes. Police and paramilitary men accompanying the polling staff have used force at various places to prevent the polling stations from being overrun by residents, mostly youth.
At various places, the angry residents have snatched the EVMs from the polling staff. A top officer in the Electoral Office has confirmed damage and snatching if at least 14 EVMs so far.
In wake of tensions at polling stations, authorities at a few places had to shift the venues at the last moment to more secure places.
