PDP supporters thrash NC polling agent at Bijbehara polling station in J&K's Anantnag

SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters on Tuesday thrashed a National Conference (NC) polling agent at the Bijbehara polling station in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. 

The PDP supporters alleged that bogus voting was taking place at the polling booth. 

Voting turnout in Anantnag has been low on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha election. While voting gradually increased in the rural and hilly areas, it remained very low in urban centres.

Jammu & Kashmir: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters thrash a National Conference (NC) polling agent at Bijbehara polling station of Anantnag district, alleging bogus voting. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/yay2nDMQlI — ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2019

Queues of voters were seen in Shangus, Kokernag, Dooru and Pahalgam where voters came out in good numbers. But voters were very few in towns like Anantnag and Bijbehara where people came out in only ones and twos.

Security forces used tear smoke to disperse stone-pelters who tried to dissuade voters from reaching some polling stations. "Except for a few stray incidents of stone pelting by miscreants, the election process has remained peaceful during the first three hours in the constituency," an official was quoted by IANS.

"The real challenge in this constituency is to ensure that the poll process passes off peacefully."

Polling began at 7 am and ended at 4 pm. The security forces were present in large numbers to ensure a violence free election. Security forces had been deployed along roads and hillside areas overlooking the polling stations to prevent militants from disrupting the poll process.

Mobile Internet facility and train services had been suspended for the day.
Very few people were seen at the 714 polling stations set up for 523,566 voters in six polling segments of Bijbehara, Pahalgam, Shangus, Anantnag, Kokernag and Dooru.

Authorities have set up 26 polling stations outside the Kashmir Valley for Kashmiri Pandit migrant voters.

Of these, 21 are in Jammu, four in Delhi and one in Udhampur district.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of PDP, state Congress President Ghulam Ahmed Mir, Justice (Retired) Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference, Sofi Yusuf of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Chowdhury Zafar Ali of the People`s Conference are in the fray in Anantnag.