Aakash Hassan
Srinagar
As the by-election for the Srinagar Parliamentary seat witnessed massive clashes and bloodshed, Chief Election officer Shantamanu said that “today was not a good day.”
He was briefing a press conference in Banquet Hall Srinagar about the elections in which he said 6.50% votes were polled. The constituency comprises three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal.
In more than twelve lakh total eligible voters, 6.50% & voting was recorded at total of 1559 polling stations including 19 polling booths set in Jammu for migrants, he informed. He added “6236 poll personnel were deployed for total 1261395 electorate.”
The statement from information department reveals that the overall poll percentage is 7.14%
While giving the break-up of votes polled, the CEO said that a total of 90050 votes were polled during the day long exercise. The votes also included those cast by migrants at the special polling stations.
He said in Srinagar district 24574 votes were polled in eight assembly segments of Srinagar parliamentary Constituency with Hazratbal recording 3483 votes, Zadibal 3280, Eidgah 383, Khanyar 2587, Habba Kadal 2058, Amira Kadal 3331, Sonwar 4777 and Batamaloo 4675.
Similarly in five assembly segments of Budgam district, a total of 40288 votes were cast with Chadoora recording 602, Budgam 13276, Beerwah 13625, Khan Sahab 9492 and Chrar-e-Sharief 3293 votes.
In two assembly segments of Ganderbal district, a total of 24217 votes were polled that included 15199 in Kangan and 9018 in Ganderbal assembly segments.
He said 3.84 percent polling was recorded in Srinagar, 8.82 percent in Budgam and 14.71 percent in Ganderbal districts.
Kangan assembly segment in Ganderbal district recorded highest voter turnout of 15199, while lowest polling of 383 votes was recorded in Eidgah assembly segment of Srinagar district.
A total of 971 votes were also polled at the three migrant polling centres set up at Jammu, Udhampur and New Delhi.
The polling was less than 26 percent than last elections held in 2014. He informed that there were “more than 200 incidents” of violence today particularly in Budgam district.
“One of the polling booths was set ablaze and there were few attempts to set many other polling booths ablaze” and few “vehicles were set ablaze.”
While speaking about the death toll in the violent clashes he said six civilians were killed.
“Because of firing incidents we lost six lives, 17 civilians were injuried and more than hundred police and para-military personnel were also injured,” Shantamanu added.
Taking the current situation in view he said that “Presiding officers’ diary will be examined and after that observers will take final call.”
He maintained that second phase of the by-polls set to be held for Islamabad parliamentary seat will be held as per schedule on April 12 and results of both seats will be declared after two days on April 15.
Reacting to reporters question about the number of places where polling could not take place he said “we are not in position to give exact number as few presiding officers dairies are yet to be received. But it can vary from 50 to 100,” he said
For the second phase election in Islamabad he said that “it is a bigger challenge to handle.”
The by-election witnessed massive clashes in which seven persons are already dead while many others are seriously injured.
