SRINAGAR : Low to moderate polling has been witnessed during the first two hours after a very slow start in 16 assembly segments, spread over three districts of Baramulla, Badgam and Pulwama in the third leg of five-phased elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Unprecedented security arrangements have been made for a free, fair and peaceful polling in these constituencies which witnessed militant violence during the electioneering in which 26 people, including 11 security personnel and eight militants, were killed.
Voting started at 0800 hrs in all the 1,781 polling booths. Though the polling started on a dull note mainly due to chilly weather conditions, it started picking up as the day progressed.
At some polling booths, particularly in Sopore and Tral assembly segments, only few voters had turned up. However, authorities expressed the hope that the polling will increase as the day progresses.
In Uri, voters, undeterred by December 5 fidayeen attack on an Army camp in which eight army personnel, three policemen and six militants were killed, came out in large number to exercise their democratic right. Long queues could be seen outside majority of polling stations half-an-hour before the start of the polling. The constituency witnessed more than 81 per cent polling in 2008. In Charar-e-Sharief, large number of voters were out to exercise their franchise in most of the polling booths. In a polling station set up in a school at Chrawani, people were seen lining up 30 to 40 minutes before the start of the polling.
Similarly in other constituencies, voters, particularly first timers and women, could be seen marching towards their respective polling station to cast their votes. At Nowgam, where two youths were killed and two others injured after an Army naka checking opened fire on a car on November 3, voters were out to cast their votes. Court of Inquiry (COI) held Army personnel responsible for the killing and announced relief for those killed and injured. (AGENCIES)
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