Hurriyat fumes at 65% turnout

SRINAGAR: The people of Kashmir once again snubbed separatists on Sunday, turning out in huge numbers to exercise their franchise in the second phase of assembly polls in Ganderbal and Rajouri districts.

As per the election commission, the phase recorded a 65.09% voter turnout, exceeding by a huge margin the 2002 figures when polls were held under the shadow of the gun.

Divisional commissioner Masood Samoon said the two constituencies in Ganderbal recorded a 51.11% turnout, while the four constituencies in Rajouri witnessed 70.05% voters exercising their franchise.

“In Kangan constituency, 60.02% cast their votes, while 44.33 exercised their franchise in Ganderbal. Nowshera, Darhal, Rajouri and Kalakote in Rajouri recorded 70, 73, 67 and 73 per cents,” Samoon said.

In 2002, the turnout in Kangan was 52.03%, Ganderbal 35.21%, 27.05% in militancy-hit Rajouri, Darhal 46%, Nowshera 57.86% and Kalakote 48.66%.

Samoon said the voting was largely peaceful. “No re-poll is needed in any of the constituencies because the voting has been peaceful,” he said.

The administration was shaky on poll morning as two youth had been killed in police firing on anti-election protesters in Baramulla on Saturday. However, much to the relief of the security forces, nothing untoward happened.

Hurriyat reaction was on expected lines. “By staying away from polls, the people have proved they are not interested in election or selection. The government is staging a drama to fool the international community but it has failed,” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of moderate Hurriyat, said.

Mirwaiz condemned the  curfew to prevent a march in Ganderbal.