Syed Tahir Bukhari
Early Times Report
BARAMULLA, Dec 9: Defying the chill and separatist call to boycott polls electors queued up in large numbers at polling booths in the third round of the five-phase assembly elections.
The stray incidents of stone pelting failed to deter voters in this North Kashmir district.
Voters in large number trickled out in the morning at almost all the polling stations to elect representatives for the seven assembly segments despite the freezing cold that gripped the entire north Kashmir.
The polling took place four days after a string of militant attacks that left 21 people including eight soldiers dead in Kashmir.
Hundreds of voters were standing in long queues outside the polling stations at Mohra Uri, located barely two kilometres away from the Army camp that witnessed a bloody encounter on December 5, leaving 17 people dead.
By afternoon, the state recorded an average voter turnout of 31 percent. In the initial morning hours, the voter turnout was 13 to 16 percent. The total number of registered electorates in Baramulla district are 5, 91,218 including 3, 09,230 males and 2, 81,988 females with 8,956 migrant voters also eligible to vote. Set to complete his century in February 2015, Ghulam Ahmad Lone of Uri told Early Times that he has come out to vote for change, because the only thing according to him that can make any difference to this backward, neglected and far flung village is change.
He said that he does not want to miss his chance of casting the vote.
Hundreds of people, young and old were seen gathered outside the polling stations across the North Kashmir with the majority of polling booths being set up either in schools or government buildings. Moderate to brisk polling was seen in Uri, Sangrama, Pattan, Rafiabad and Gulmarg of Baramulla district while Sopore, Baramulla town and Palhallan witnessed very low turnout.
The entire township of Baramulla, Sopore and Palhallan areas today observed complete shutdown. Shops, business establishments, government and semi government offices including banks remained closed in the district. At the bridge of Azad Gunj area of Baramulla, youth assembled in groups and pelted stones toward the deployment of forces. Youth in the area fought pitched battles for a long time till the last reports came in. A petrol bomb was hurled at a booth in the early hours however no casualties were reported in the incident. |
