Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 1 : The Army is been told to remain on the alert for meeting any eventuality during the phase two polling on Tuesday in six out of 18 constituencies that fall in the border belt of Jammu and Kashmir. The authorities have deployed additional companies of police and paramilitary forces and every polling station has been kept under heavy security cover. Right from Sunday each polling station and its immediate areas have been sanitized against planting of any explosive devices. More than 300 polling stations in Kupwara, Handwara, Karnah, Poonch and Mendhar have been kept in the hypersensitive category where several companies of security forces have been put on duty. Official sources said that the Army has been kept on the stand by in constituencies that fall in the areas of Kupwara, Karnah, Lolab, Poonch, Surankot and Mendhar.
Field reports said that since militants have carried out series of acts of subversive violence in south Kashmir there are fears that polling percentage in constituencies including Noorabad, Kulgam, Homeshalibugh and Devsar be lower than the one registered in various constituencies in phase one of the polling.
There are 15.35 lakh voters in these 18 constituencies. These constituencies are important for the BJP, the Congress, the NC, the PDP and the Panthers Party besides Peoples' Conference. |
