Polling for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat begins amid tight security

Srinagar: Polling for Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir began on Wednesday amid tight security. [caption id=“attachment_1502617” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah. Reuters[/caption] While there was very little activity at polling stations in Srinagar city, moderate polling has been reported from Ganderbal and Budgam districts, officials said. Polling is being held amid tight security with police and paramalitary CRPF deployed in strength in most of the urban areas of the constituency, they said. Over 12 lakh voters are eligible to cast votes for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, which has seen low voter turnout since eruption of militancy in 1990. In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the turnout was only 25.55 percent while in the preceding election, it was a dismal 18 percent. Election authorities have set up 1546 pilling stations in the constituency where Union Minister Farooq Abdullah is seeking reelection. He is up against several other candidates including PDP’s Tariq Hamid Karra. National Conference has won the seat every time barring 1971 and 1996 when it did not contest the polls. Of the 1546 polling stations, only 3.5 percent have been declared as normal. According to security agencies, 1021 polling stations have been declared as hypersensitive and 470 as sensitive. Eighteen polling stations have been set up for migrant voters of the Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi. While 13 polling stations have been set up in Jammu, one has been set up in Udhampur and four in Delhi to facilitate the migrant Kashmiri Pandits to exercise their franchise. PTI