JAMMU / SRINAGAR: Despite explosions at two locations in north Kashmir, fifty per cent polling was recorded in fifteen assembly constituencies till Tuesday afternoon, in the first phase of polling across Jammu & Kashmir.
132 candidates, including seven ministers in Omar Abdullah ministry, are trying their luck in the Tuesday polling which started at 8am. While the polling was slow in the morning owing to cold weather, it picked up by the afternoon.
An explosive went off just minutes after the voting started at a polling station in Bandipora. SP Bandipora Shabir Chowdry said that the police is ascertaining whether it was a bomb explosion or a fire cracker to scare the voters. The blast took place near the polling stations 64 A and 65 B in Nowpora area in Bandipora district.
Another blast was reported at Naidkhi in Sonawari in north Kashmir. The eyewitnesses said that it was a petrol bomb thrown by some miscreants to scare the voters. But that did not deter the voters, reports said. However, SP Bandipora denied that it was a petrol bomb. “We are ascertaining the nature of both the explosions,” the SP said.
Doda constituency recorded highest polling with 41% followed by Kangan segment which recorded 39%. Polling is brisk in Gurez, Bandipora, Sonawari, Ganderbal, Kangan and in four assembly constituencies of Ladakh as well.
Surprisingly, the effect of poll boycott call given by various separatist groups and militant outfits was nowhere to be seen.
