16 per cent voting in J&K

Defying militants' threat and their attempts to disrupt the polls by grenade attacks that left one person killed and 22 inured, nearly 16 per cent of the electorate cast their vote in J&K.

Defying militants' threat and their attempts to disrupt the polls by grenade attacks that left one person killed and 22 inured, nearly 16 per cent of the electorate cast their vote for the Lok Sabha election in this high profile constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.

HT Image

The turn out was marginally above 1999 Lok Sabha elections when 14.32 per cent was recorded but much less than 24 per cent polled in its 16 assembly segments in the 2002 assembly elections.

Ruling PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is locked in a triangular contest with CPI(M) state secretary M Y Tarigami and National Conference's Mehboob Beig.

Militants targeted several polling stations. A bank manager Ghulum Hassan was killed and two other civilians were injured when ultras launched a grenade attack outside a polling station at Anantnag Women's College here.

They also hurled a grenade at a polling in Bijbehara, the home town of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, barely three hours after he along with his wife and daughter cast their vote at the booth.

Fifteen persons, including five security men and four polling staff, were injured in the attack. While nine people in serious condition remained in hospital, the rest were discharged after first aid.

Radical militant outfit Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen claimed the responsibility for both the attacks.

The polling began on a very dull note across the constituency but picked up in the latter half of the day-- probably after the people assessed the risk involved.