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| Amid fear, tension, North Kashmir goes to polls | | | Bashir Assad
Srinagar, May 7: Amid fear and tension, people in north Kashmir on Wednesday showed up slowly in moderate numbers to register their votes for the Baramulla-Kupwara Lok Sabha seat.
Though Kupwara district reported brisk voting during the day, however, parts of Baramulla and Bandipora districts remained tense with Sopore town observing complete boycott. In Sopore CRPF personnel including assistant commandant were injured in a militant attack late Tuesday evening. While long queues were seen at many polling stations in Kupwara district and Gurez and Sonawari assembly segments in Bandipora district, uptown areas of Baramulla wore a deserted look. The localities in old town areas were sealed by police and para-military forces to prevent any law and order problem. Despite stringent security measures stone pelting, locking of polling stations and occupying at least three polling booths was reported from Nowpora in Bandipora, Sopore, Pattan. However, brisk polling was reported from some pockets of Bandipora district, particularly Shelwat. Reports said queues of voters were witnessed outside polling booths.
Agitating locals early morning locked three polling stations established in ITI Bandipora after army men allegedly went berserk in the area, reports said. The polling booths are 27E, 69B and 70C. Poll staff as well as police personnel are inside the booths. According to reports large queues were seen outside many polling stations with enthusiastic voters including first time voters and female voters upbeat about exercising their right to vote.As many as 15 candidates are in fray from Baramulla parliamentary constituency whereas 4 candidates are contesting from Ladakh parliamentary constituency, which also went to polls today. Kupwara district recorded highest poll percentage, in Sopore it was complete boycott. In Langate town, complete shutdown was observed.CRPF's Srinagar based spokesperson; Kishore Prassad said that some unidentified militants attacked CRPF party of 179 battalion near State Bank of India office in Sopore on Tuesday. "During the attack three of our men have sustained injuries and they have been immediately evacuated to nearby hospital for treatment", he said.
The doctors however said that only two injured CRPF men were brought to the hospital and both of them have been referred to Bone and Joint hospital Srinagar. He said that the duo had suffered leg injuries. Meanwhile strike disrupted normal life in the Baramulla parliamentary constituency of north Kashmir which went for polling today. Shops, business establishments and petrol pumps were shut while public transport remained off the roads in the constituency spread over three districts of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora in response to the strike call given by Hurriyat Conference against the holding of elections.The effect of the strike was accentuated due to a holiday declared by the Election Commission in connection with the polling.
However, life remained unaffected in other parts of the valley including summer capital Srinagar as the separatists had restricted the strike call to north Kashmir districts. |
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