Voting begins low-key in Kashmir

Voters trickled out in twos and threes Tuesday morning at almost all the polling stations to elect representatives for the five assembly seats as freezing cold gripped the central Kashmir district.

At Gowharpora polling station in Chadura constituency, a small queue started building as the doors of the polling station were opened to the voters.

Reports from the adjacent Pulwama district, where another four constituencies are voting today also suggested voting started slow because of the biting cold.

In Pulwama town, no queues were seen outside polling stations in the morning.

In Tral constituency of Pulwama district, no voters had turned out at polling stations in the morning.

Two civilians were killed in Tral town and 11 others injured in a grenade explosion Dec 5.

In Baramulla district, where seven constituencies go to poll today, voter queues were seen in Uri constituency in the morning but there were hardly any voters outside polling stations in Sopore town.

Poll officials said voting would pick up as the day progresses.

The Weather office has forecast fair weather across the Valley today.

Polling ends 4 p.m.