A mere two percent voters showed up at the polling booths on Thursday for the re-polling at 38 polling booths in Srinagar parliamentary constituency. Earlier on April 9, the constituency had witnessed a mere 7.14 per cent turnout as the bypolls were marred with violence.
Eight people had died and scores were injured in clashes between security forces and protesters, mostly in Budgam district, on the election day.
Angry mobs had ransacked polling booths and also set ablaze a few, besides damaging the electronic voting machines at various places. No polling could be held at 38 polling booths due to intense violence.
The abysmal low turnout was seen as a major rebuke to the mainstream politics in Kashmir. The lead contenders for Srinagar Parliamentary constituency are Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference (NC) and Nazir Ahmed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The bypolls for Anantnag constituency was postponed after Mufti Tassaduq Hussian, PDP’s candidate for the constituency, appealed to the Election Commission to postpone the election in view of violence and killing in Srinagar constituency.
Political observers believe that Mufti’s appeal to the ECI was motivated by his fear of loss in the very first outing. The ECI has rescheduled the bypolls in Anantnag for May 25.
The two per cent turnout in Thursday’s re-polls is seen as a double jolt to the BJP which is in coalition with the PDP.
“Out of 35,000 votes only 709 were polled on Thursday,” said Shantmanu, chief electoral officer of Jammu and Kashmir.
Around 15,000 security men were deployed to ensure peace in the area, yet in most of the booths nobody showed up from morning to evening to press the EVM.
At some places, not even the polling agents of the political parties had turned up for fear of being harassed by people.
At several polling booths, THE WEEK saw polling staff waiting in great anticipation of the voters.
“We have 709 registered voters here but nobody has showed up,’’ said a polling officer, who didn't wish to be named. Similar scenes were witnessed at most of the polling booths. The only saving grace for the administration was that the day passed of peacefully.
