BARAMULLA: Moderate to heavy polling was recorded during the first four hours in Baramulla Parliamentary Constituency (PC) in north Kashmir, where over 13 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to elect their representative among nine candidate in the first phase amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Long queues of voters could be seen outside the polling stations waiting for their turn to exercise their democratic right, particularly in border areas.
An official spokesman said that 24.66 per cent of votes were polling in Baramulla and Jammu PC during the first four hours.
The frontier district of Kupwara recorded the highest 19 per cent polling followed by Bandipora 12.63 per cent and Baramulla 11.40 per cent till 1100 hrs.
However, the migrant voter turnout in the constituency was 19.36 per cent, he said.
Polling started at 0700 hrs and will end at 1800 hrs at all 1749 polling stations have been established at 1387 locations in the constituency, spread over Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts, official sources said.
Polling was by and large peaceful and there was no report of any untoward incident so far, they said.
The far flung and remote villages, particularly near the Line of Control (LoC), voters are out to cast their votes.
People in their traditional dress could be seen going to exercise their franchise.
Long queues could also be seen in some areas, including Keran, Karnah, Uri, Sonawari.
Meanwhile, as dozens of far-flung and remote villages are within the five km range of the Line of Control (LoC), the authorities have made a ‘plan B’ to shift polling stations, in the event of any ceasefire violation from across the border, particularly in Uri sector, where one person was killed and several houses were damaged in Pakistan shelling last month.
“We are voting to protect Article 35 A and 370,” majority first time voters in the constituency said. Issue of development has taken a back seat in the constituency.
(AGENCIES)
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