Srinagar, May 2:
Over 5.22 lakh people from Pulwama and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir are eligible to cast their votes in the final leg of polling for the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat on May 6 that will bring down the curtains on the general elections in the state. “Over 5.22 lakh electors are going to exercise their franchise in the twin districts spread over six assembly segments comprising Tral, Pampore, Pulwama, Rajpora, Wachi and Shopian. As many as 695 polling stations have been established across the districts for smooth conduct of the elections,” an official spokesman said Thursday. The polling in four districts of Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency is being held over three legs. While Anantnag district voted on April 23, Kulgam went to polls on April 29. The voter turnout in the two districts has so far been dismal as only 13.61 per cent people cast their votes in Anantnag district and 10.3 per cent turnout was recorded in Kulgam district. As Shopian and Pulwama districts have been worst hit by the violence in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani during an encounter in July 2016, the political observers foresee the trend of low voter turnout continuing on May 6 as well.
Security arrangements have been put in place to ensure smooth conduct of elections, a police official said.
He said dozens of suspects and known trouble-mongers have been taken into preventive custody in the wake of several stone-pelting incidents reported during the polling in Kulgam district on April 29.
PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti is among the 18 candidates from the Anantag Lok Sabh seat.
The other notable candidates are state president of Congress G A Mir, former high court judge Hasnain Masoodi (National Conference) and former MLC Sofi Yousuf (BJP).
With the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat is also going to polls on the same day, the voting for general elections in Jammu and Kashmir will conclude on May 6.
Jammu and Baramulla Lok Sabha seats went to polls in the first phase of elections on April 11, followed by Udhampur and Srinagar constituencies in the second phase on April 18.
