Ladakh and two districts of Anantnag parliamentary seat will vote on May 6, finishing up polling in the ongoing general elections in the state. For the first time in the state’s history, polling in Anantnag Lok Sabha seat was conducted over three phases on account of security reasons. In the first phase, Anantnag district recorded 13.63% polling. In the second phase, Kulgam recorded a 10.32% turnout.
Over two dozen incidents of stone pelting have marked the polling so far. The state has six seats in all. On Monday, the twin districts of Shopian and Pulwama, which are spread over six assembly segments, will go to polls. Pulwama was in the news recently when a suicide bomber rammed his car into a convey carrying Central Reserve Police Force personnel, killing 40 men. Last week, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader was killed by suspected militants in Nowgam area of Anantnag.
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Close to 695 polling stations have been established in hypersensitive zones. More than 30,000 security force personnel will be deployed in polling booths and the Army has been roped in to patrol sensitive localities.
With militancy in the two districts, mainstream political parties have held closed-door campaigns, selecting secure places for meetings and small rallies. These districts are key to the political fortunes of Peoples Democratic Party president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, but the turnout was very low in the earlier rounds of voting in Anantnag, especially in her home turf of Bijbehara.
There are 18 candidates in the fray; however, it’s going to be a triangular contest between PDP, the Congress and the National Conference candidates — Mufti, Ghulam Ahmad Mir and retired Justice Hasnain Masoodi, respectively.
Ladakh Lok Sabha seat comprises two districts, Leh and Kargil, which has four assembly segments. Candidates in the fray include Rigzin Spalbar of Congress, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal of BJP and two independents, Asgar Ali Karbalai and Sajjad Hussain.
“Ladakh will witness good polling and two religious schools of Kargil will play an important role in the outcome of the elections. Pulwama and Shopian are expected to have a lower turnout than the previous phases. In the past too, turnout has been low here,’’ said Bashir Ahmad Lone, a political analyst.