[Reader-list] "55 per cent turnout in first phase of J-K polls" (Phase 1)

[Shivam V]

Elections under the gun: Mirwaiz

18 November, 2008
http://etalaat.com/english/News/news-scan/3646.html


Srinagar, November 17: Accusing the authorities of holding elections
in Jammu and Kashmir "under the barrel of the gun", separatist leader
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said with the majority of the people remaining
away from polling booths is a "victory for the pro-freedom" parties.

The elections to be held in seven phases over a month come after
massive pro-separatist demonstrations in the Muslim-dominated valley
earlier this year.

 "First we don't have an independent mechanism to confirm these
official voting figures. And if these are understood to be true then
what about the majority of the people who didn't vote," said the
Mirwaiz.

"Is not that our victory? It's a vindication for pro-freedom leaders."

"The elections were held under the barrel of the gun. You can't have
free and fair polling in the presence of hundreds of thousands of
armed troopers," the Mirwaiz, who heads his faction of the separatist
Hurriyat Conference, said.

The Mirwaiz, under house arrest since Thursday, said the separatist
leaders were not allowed to hold anti-election campaigns.

 "Whenever we planned to hold anti-poll rallies, curfew was imposed in
the valley,and they call it democratic process," he said, adding the
elections were held only to cement India's hold on Kashmir.

"Even on Monday, people were subjected to hardships in the valley by
imposing restrictions because we had planned to hold peaceful
anti-election rally.

"Even then some people braving police resistance took out an anti-poll
march," he said.

Separatist leaders, many of them jailed in the run up to the polls,
had urged the people to march towards Bandipora and Sonawari — the two
constituencies where voting was held Monday — to "counter" the
elections. Agencies

On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 9:05 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> End of the day reported figures for the Sonawari Assembly Constituency are 42% as also 42% for Bandipora Assembly Constituency
>
> Doesnt sound very abysmal. Possibly now the allegations of "rigging" will flow.
>
>
> Kshmendra
>
>
> "55 per cent turnout in first phase of J-K polls" (PTI)
> http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20081117/1419/tnl-55-per-cent-turnout-in-first-phase-o.html
>
>
> Mon, Nov 17 07:04 PM
>
> Srinagar/Leh, Nov 17 (PTI) Braving freezing temperatures and ignoring separatists' boycott call, Voters came out in large numbers in some towns with an average 55 per cent turnout recorded in the first phase of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir held amid unprecedented security. The turnout was moderate to heavy and voting passed off peacefully except for stray incidents of violence and protests amid threats of militants disrupting the polls which was held in a curfew-like situation in 10 constituencies spread over four districts of Bandipora, Poonch, Leh and Kargil.
>
> Polling in the border state has been staggered over seven phases lasting up to December 24. Around 55 per cent polling was registered in the 10 constituencies, Chief electoral officer B R Sharma told reporters in Srinagar.
>
> Sharma said Gurez constituency in the once terrorist-infested Bandipora district recorded the highest voting-- 74 per cent-- followed by Mendhar (65), Poonch (64), Surankote (58), Kargil (57), Nobra (55), Leh (53), Zanskar (48) and Bandipora and Sonawari (42 each). Srinagar, Bandipora and other towns were almost totally locked down, as thousands of troops were out in force to prevent anti-election rallies.
>
> An estimated six lakh voters were eligible to vote in the first phase. At least seven persons including a woman were injured as police fired a few teargas shells and used batons to disperse people protesting against holding of assembly elections in Bandipora district, official sources said.
>
> The separatist co-ordination committee had given a call for 'Jehan election waha challo' (march to where elections are). But the march to Bandipora, 65 km north of Srinagar town, was foiled by security forces.
>
> PTI.
>
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>
> "Voting ends peacefully in Jammu and Kashmir" (IANS)
> http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20081117/818/tnl-voting-ends-peacefully-in-jammu-and.html
>
> Mon, Nov 17 06:24 PM
>
> Srinagar/Jammu, Nov 17 (IANS) Voting ended peacefully in Jammu and Kashmir for the first phase of the seven-phase elections Monday with a large number of people exercising their franchise despite a call for boycott by Muslim separatists.
>
> Polling started at 8 a.m. amid tight security in 10 constituencies spread over the Muslim-dominated Kashmir Valley, the Hindu-majority Jammu region and the mainly Buddhist Ladakh. The voting for the 87 constituencies is being held in seven phases over a month.
> Barring a clash between a group of people protesting against the elections in Bandipora town and the police and a scuffle between workers of National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the neighbouring Sonawari constituency, balloting progressed smoothly, said a poll official.
>
> Polling had to be suspended in one polling station in Sonawari constituency after a clash broke out between the workers of National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party over counter-allegations of booth capturing.
>
> Members of both the parties destroyed some electronic voting machines, forcing the authorities to suspend polling. In a few constituencies in Poonch region, polling time was extended by an hour.
>
> Barring Jammu region, the final poll percentage was awaited as poll officials said they were compiling data from different constituencies.
>
> The final polling percentages in Jammu region were, Mendhar 67 percent, Poonch Haveli 60 and Surankot 55.
>
> The figures for the four seats in Ladakh region as on 2 p.m. were Zanskar 45, Kargil 42, Nobra 36 and Leh 32.2 as on 2 p.m.
>
> At 2 p.m., Gurez in the Kashmir Valley had topped with 51 percent followed by Bandipora 29 and Sonawari 28. This is significant given the boycott call of the separatists and the fear of violence in the region.
>
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>
>
>
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