In Omar’s seat, no one’s rushing to vote him back

The last may not be good news for Omar. Not only is Qazi giving him a tough fight on the seat but the NC chief is bogged down by the strong anti-incumbency wave against the Farooq regime. Today, a number of NC old guards at the grassroot level admitted they were voting against the party.

With Omar having expressed ‘‘fears’’ of bullying by PDP and asking Election Commission to remain ‘‘extra-vigilant’’ in Lar, security forces were on high alert and voters and visitors were severely frisked.

The trouble, however, erupted at Haran polling station, where PDP alleged booth capturing by NC. ‘‘They beat me up and captured the booth,’’ said Fayaz Ahmad Ganai, PDP polling agent at Haran. Another agent, Showkat Ahmad Bhat, said they were pushed out of the booth. PDP supporters later protested against the ‘‘boothcapturing’’, shouting slogans against the EC and subdivisional magistrate.

Though in most parts of the constituency there was no allegation of coercion by security forces, this correspondent saw a Rashtriya Rifles soldier conducting a ‘‘nail parade’’ (checking fingers for voters’ indelible ink) at Wakoora. Two Wakoora booths were set up in a security camp where 45 per cent votes had been polled till 2.15 pm.

The foreign diplomats in town said they had not received any coercion complaints. Antonatos from Greece added he had been told booths at various places were relocated at the last minute.