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Low turnout, violence, protests mar polling in Baramulla

Mukhtar Ahmad in Baramulla

Polling in the sprawling Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in the bandh-hit Kashmir Valley was marred by incidents of violence, protests and a low voter turnout.

Militants made several attempts to disrupt the polling, resulting in the death of seven persons, including two personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, in separate incidents.

Polling was brisk in some border areas, but was poor in the main towns in the constituency.

In Baramulla town, most of the polling booths were deserted, with few turning up to cast their votes.

Despite the security blanket over the district, a powerful bomb exploded near the main bus stand in Baramulla town, causing widespread panic.

Jawans of the Border Security Force later cordoned off the area and in full view of scores of journalists roughed up a few locals, including a taxi driver on election duty.

Of the 4,292 registered voters in five polling booths in the main town, only two turned up to vote. Otherwise, the polling staff was busy doing nothing through the day.

In fact, the polling staff too complained, of inadequate arrangements for their stay in the town.

Some supporters of former Union environment minister Saifuddin Soz came out to vote despite the bandh (general strike) in the town.

In nearby Sopore town, which was once a hotbed of militancy, most of the voters stayed indoors and the town looked deserted. Some youths sitting at the main chowk [square] said: "We will boycott this poll. No one here is interested in voting."

"They have deployed so much security here. Only two days back, two youths died when security forces responded to a bomb attack in the town," said Zubair Ahmad.

A senior officer of the security forces admitted on condition of anonymity that he and his men had visited some localities to "tell the voters to come out and vote".

Troops allegedly opened fire on a group of unwilling voters in the Shia-dominated village of Haigam near Sopore, killing a youth and provoking the villagers to stage an anti-India demonstration.

Mohammad Hussain alleged that the youth, Altaf Hussain Mir, was forced to go to the polling booth to vote. "He told them in front of us that he was only 17 and ineligible to vote. This annoyed a jawan who opened fire, killing him on the spot," he added.

Men, women and children came out shouting slogans against Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. They alleged that Dr Abdullah had only two days ago threatened to use force if the people boycotted the poll.

In nearby Shilvat village, hundreds of people shouted anti-government slogans after three persons, including a student, died in a shooting incident.

The villagers said people were herded to the polling booths this morning against their will. They therefore staged an anti-election demonstration. Subsequently, troops opened fire on the demonstrators, killing two persons on the spot. The third died in hospital.

But in Langate, Uri, Pattan and Sonawari, heavy polling was recorded. People in these areas came out early to vote.

Jammu & Kashmir Chief Electoral officer S V Bhave told rediff.com on the phone from Srinagar that barring a few incidents, polling was peaceful.

Bhave said the total polling percentage was higher than that recorded in Srinagar in the first phase, and could be between 25 and 30 per cent.

He said extremists made several attempts to disrupt the polling. In Kupwara district, they planted bombs near polling booths, but none was hurt. At Nadihal Bandipore, two bombs went off this morning, but again no one was hurt.

At Budrehal in Kupwara district, militants fired a rocket which, however, missed its target. At Pattan, militants fired at the motorcade of Housing Minister Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, but he escaped unhurt.

Militants also tried to blow up a polling booth in the district. One person was wounded in this incident.

Normal life in the entire valley was paralysed by the strike called by the All-Parties Hurriyat [Freedom] Conference. APHC leader Yasin Malik, leader of the Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front, told reporters that their poll boycott call was successful and Kashmiris should be given the right to self-determination.

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