Brisk voting in Srinagar's rural areas (Third Lead)

Polling continued to be brisk in villages and low in urban areas of the Srinagar parliamentary constituency Wednesday.

Farooq Abdullah, ruling National Conference candidate for Lok Sabha from Srinagar constituency, his son and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and other members of the family voted at the Burnhall polling station in the city.

Voters standing in queues waited for their turn at almost all the polling stations in Chadoora, Budgam, Charar-e-Sharief, Beerwah and Khansahib assembly constituencies, which constitute the Srinagar parliamentary constituency.

In Budgam town, both men and women voters turned out in good numbers to exercise their franchise. Villages in Ganderbal and Kangan assembly segments also witnessed good voter turnout.

Of the eight assembly segments of Srinagar city, poor to moderate voting was witnessed in Amira Kadal, Habba Kadal, Khanyar and Rajouri Kadal areas.

Separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani's call to enforce a "civil curfew" did not evoke much response although voter turnout was rather low in the Srinagar city.

Poll officials said till 12 noon, 11 percent of the electorate voted in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency. Of this, the highest 40 percent was in Ganderbal, 15 percent in Budgam, and five percent in Srinagar.

No major incident of violence has been reported so far from anywhere in the Srinagar parliamentary constituency.

The movements of tourists to hill stations of Sonmarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam remained unaffected as taxis ferrying them plied normally.

A poll official was injured in stone pelting in Darish Kadal area of Srinagar late Tuesday.

Farooq Abdullah is seeking re-election from this constituency that has 12.31 lakh voters.

Tariq Hamid Karra of the Peoples Democratic Party is his main challenger here.

In 2009, the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency recorded 25.25 percent voting.

Voting ends at 5 p.m. Wednesday.