Re-polling at 38 voting stations in Kashmir’s Budgam district on Thursday saw a turnout of only 2%, NDTV reported. State Chief Electoral Officer Shantmanu said that this was the lowest in the history of Kashmir. “Only 709 people voted on Thursday. Now, the overall polling [in the three constituencies in Srinagar] is around 7.13%,” he said, adding that there were no untoward incidents reported during re-polling.
In 27 out of the 38 polling stations, not a single person turned up to vote, Greater Kashmir reported. The Srinagar seat – spread over the three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal – was held by Tariq Hameed Karra, who resigned from his post and the Peoples Democratic Party in protest against the alleged atrocities by security forces last July in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
Re-polling was held amid tight security. Election Commission officials told PTI that they were confident that adequate security arrangements had been made after violence had marred the bye-polls in Srinagar constituency on April 9. “Adequate arrangements of security and videography have been made for re-polling at 38 polling stations in Budgam district of Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency,” Shantmanu had told PTI.
The poll monitoring body has assigned one micro-observer from central government offices at each polling station. The district administration has imposed restrictions in Budgam, except in the areas where re-polling is taking place.
The police and security forces had also carried out search operations on Wednesday in the run up to the bye-polls. “As many as 50 people have been rounded up and search is continuing for others,” a senior police official told the news agency.
However, separatists have called for a shutdown in the area.
On Sunday, the Lok Sabha constituency had witnessed saw large-scale violence in which eight protestors died and a very low turnout of 7.14%. The re-polling, which was ordered on Tuesday, began at 7 am and will end at 4 pm on Thursday. Nine candidates, including National Conference veteran Farooq Abdullah, are in the fray. Votes will be counted on April 15.
The Election Commission is hopeful that Thursday’s re-polling will be peaceful. It said around 100 security personnel and 70 civilians had been injured in 200 incidents of stone pelting on Sunday when polling had first taken place, reported The Indian Express. Fearing a similar situation, hundreds of villagers have fled their homes in Budgam district, reported Firstpost. “We fled our homes as soon as a large convoy of forces were deployed in our village. No one knows what is going to happen during the night or tomorrow, so everyone has fled to other districts,” Tariq Ahmad Mir, a resident of Safdeen Galwanpora, told Firstpost on Wednesday.
The Union Home Ministry had advised the Election Commission against conducting bye-elections for the Srinagar and Anantnag seats this month. Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi had issued a letter right after the polling dates were announced on March 10, saying that the atmosphere in the state was not conducive for elections. He had asked the poll monitoring body to delay it for a few months.
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