Polling ends peacefully in J&K's Anantnag with just 10% turnout (3rd Lead)

Voting for the second phase of Anantnag Lok Sabha seat ended peacefully on Monday amid high security with only around 10 per cent voters coming out to exercise their democratic right.

"10.2 per cent voter turnout was recorded in today's polling in the four segments of Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency.

"The poll process ended peacefully despite some stray incidents of violence in which miscreants tried to disrupt the poll process," poll officials said.

Two youth sustained pellet injuries in clashes with the security forces in Kulgam district. Both of them have been shifted to Srinagar for treatment, police said.

Out of the four segments those went to polls today, 15,663 votes were cast in Noorabad segment, followed by 15,160 in Devsar segment.

Voting was dismal in Kulgam and Homshalibugh segments with just 1,684 and 891 votes cast, respectively.

In addition to this, 1,762 migrant voters also exercised franchise at polling stations set up outside the Valley in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi, poll officials said.

Voting began at 7 a.m. in Kulgam district's four Assembly segments -- Noorabad, Devsar, Kulgam and Homshalibugh.

At the Laram polling station in Homshalibugh, voting was delayed for 40 minutes due to a faulty Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).

A total of 433 polling stations had been set up at 244 locations.

There are 3,45,486 voters in the district. Twenty-one polling stations had been set up for over 3,000 migrants voters in Udhampur, Jammu and Delhi.

As a precaution, mobile Internet services were suspended in the south Kashmir areas.

Train services between Baramulla and Banihal were also cancelled.

There are 18 candidates in Anantnag but the main contest is between Mehbooba Mufti of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Ghulam Ahmad Mir of Congress and Justice (Retired) Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Sofi Yusuf and the People's Conference Choudhary Zafar Ali. In addition, a woman candidate, Ridwana Sanam, is contesting as an Independent.

For the first time in the electoral history of the state, a non-local, Shams Khwaja, a lawyer from Uttar Pradesh, is also in the race.

The last phase of the three-phased poll process in this constituency is scheduled on May 6. Votes will be counted on May 23.

--IANS

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