Electioneering ends for Srinagar LS seat

Barring two mysterious blasts that left 3 injured, the campaigning for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, which ended this evening, was by and large peaceful with candidates, including NC president Farooq Abdullah, addressing nearly 100 rallies and roadshows to woo voters.
Abdullah, whose National Conference has won the seat every time barring 1971 and 1996 when it did not contest the polls, is seeking re-election from the constituency.
The Union Minister is pitted against 11 others, the most formidable among them being senior PDP leader and former state Finance Minister Tariq Hameed Karra.
Going to polls on April 30, the Srinagar parliamentary constituency has registered a low voter turnout ever since the eruption of militancy in the state in 1990.

In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the turnout was only 25.55 per cent while in the preceding election, it was a dismal 18 per cent.
Unlike Anantnag parliamentary constituency where six people, including two sarpanches and two policemen, were killed in militant attacks in the run up to the polling on April 24, the campaigning for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat remained by and large peaceful.

However, two mysterious explosions near the venue of National Conference election rallies in Magam area in Budgam and Khanyar in Srinagar yesterday triggered panic, prompting security forces to beef up security.
Three persons were injured in the explosion at Magam.

Although police said they are investigating the nature of the blasts, eye-witnesses claimed the blasts were caused by detonation of grenades.