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Nine per cent turnout in first two hours of J-K polls

Fate of 393 candidates, including former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, former speaker Tara Chand and six former ministers will be decided in the elections.

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SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Braving severe cold, an estimated nine per cent of the 16.91 lakh electorate exercised their franchise in 21 constituencies in the initial two hours of the seventh and final phase of Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, on Wednesday.

Fate of 393 candidates, including former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, former speaker Tara Chand and six former ministers will be decided in the elections.

Amid a separatist boycott call, polling began in eight constituencies of Srinagar on a low key while it was moderate to brisk in 13 constituencies of Jammu (11) and Samba (2) districts, officers said.

The administration attributed the low voting in Srinagar to morning chill, though the separatists claimed that people were responding to their call.

Youths in several areas of the city took out processions chanting anti-election slogans but were chased away by security forces deployed in strength. The authorities scuttled the 'Lal Chowk Chalo' march of the separatists by virtually sealing off the city.

There was no report of poll disruption from anywhere in Srinagar but incidents of malfunctioning of electronic voting machines came in from Jammu region.

Vijaypur in Samba district recorded the highest turnout of 20 per cent while Amirakadal in Srinagar district recorded the lowest of 0.82 per cent voting during the first few hours, officers said.

As many as 70,000 personnel of central security forces have been deployed in and around 1,872 polling booths set up for the over 16.91 lakh electorate, including 8,22,671 women voters in Srinagar, Jammu and Samba districts.

Farooq Abdullah, who is contesting from two constituencies - Hazratbal and Sonawar - is the most prominent figure among the candidates. The chairman of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party Bhim Singh and state president of BJP Ashok Khajuria are also in the fray.

As compared to the 2002 assembly elections when 221 candidates were in the fray, this time a record number of 393 candidates including 31 women and 151 independents are trying their luck in the 21 constituencies.

Although there was no violence during electioneering in Jammu and Samba districts, canvassing in Srinagar was marred by violence against poll candidates at several places in the downtown city and uptown Civil Lines area.

Abdullah, who did not contest the 2002 elections, is facing a formidable challenge from PDP in both Hazratbal and Sonawar constituencies. In Hazratbal, he is pitted against PDP's Asiea Naqash and 17 others. In Sonawar, PDP leader G Q Paradesi and 24 others are his opponents.

In 2002 assembly polls, National Conference had bagged five of the eight seats in Srinagar with Independents taking two seats and Congress getting Amirakadal.

The polling in this phase is of foremost importance to all parties as the highest number of 21 constituencies are at stake. Besides, political observers will keep a watch on the voting in Srinagar, which had a poor turnout of five per cent in the previous elections.

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