Blasts fail to deter Valley voters

Today’s polling was much lower than last time. The polling was higher in border areas and villages while the main townships like Sopore, Bijebehara and Pampore witnessed very low polling.

The fear was palpable as at most of the polling booths there were very few women voters, quite unusual in Kashmir, where gender equation is much more balanced than many other parts of thecountry.Devsar assembly constituency in Anantnag saw the highest 52 per cent polling while Kokernag in the same constituency saw the lowest 15 per cent polling. The election authorities did not divulge the figures of many other constituencies in Baramulla which might have caused all-round embarrassment.

Compared to Srinagar constituency there were very few complaints of rigging. Bhave said although a lot of complaints had been lodged orally no formal complaint of election malpractices had been made to the commission.

Giving details of the incident, IGP P P S Gill said a grenade was thrown towards a polling booth in Kokernag which fell in a field. Two securitymen received minor injuries when militants threw a grenade on a CRPF man outside the polling booth in Bijebehara. In Sadnal, Anantnag, an explosive device kept under a water tank exploded. In village Manhamma of Bijebehara a blast occurred about one metre away from a polling booth.

Atleast 15 securitymen escaped unhurt when a blast rocked a highschool building in Pattan township while polling was in progress. In Tral, an explosion occurred about 100 yards away from the polling booth. In Badipora area of the Baramulla constituency, militants fired two rockets towards a BSF picket late last night. The rockets however missed the intended target.

Today, the militants fired towards the security pickets in village Sadarkoot Payeen but no one was hurt in the incident.

Meanwhile, counting of votes in Srinagar and Jammu parliamentary constituencies will begin tomorrow amidst tight security.