With unprecedented security, the prestigious Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is going for the poll on May 13.
2,135 polling stations have been set up for polling for the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency spread over five districts namely Srinagar, Pulwama, Budgam, Ganderbal, and Shopian.
Although there are two dozen candidates in the fray, the real contest is among candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, the National Conference, and the J&K Apni Party.
Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi from the NC, Waheed-ur-Rehman Para from the PDP, and Mohammad Ashraf Mir from the J&K Apni Party are the prominent candidates for this seat.
After 1984 Srinagar seat recorded the lowest polling in successive elections
Due to threats of terrorists and boycott calls by the separatist groups, the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency always recorded the lowest polling in successive elections.
First time in the last three decades, separatist groups have not given a call for a poll boycott so authorities are expecting high-turn out.
The last time was in 1984 when the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency recorded 73.51 percent polling and the National Conference candidate Abdul Rashid Kubli had secured 81.50 percent of the total polled votes.
In the 1989 Lok Sabha elections when terrorism started in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, there was zero percent polling on the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat as the National Conference candidate Mohammad Shafi Bhat was elected unopposed.
In 1999 Parliamentary constituency had recorded only 11.93 percent polling on the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.
Statistics of Srinagar Lok Sabha seat since 1984.
Year Voting Percentage
1984 73.51%
1989 Zero %
1996 40.9 %
1998 30.06%
1999 11.90%
2004 18.60%
2009 25.60%
2014 25.90%
2019 14.43%
In 2019, out of the total 12, 94, 671 votes, only 1,86832 voters cast their votes which was 14.43 percent of the total votes.
Authorities make all arrangements for Monday's poll
Authorities have made all arrangements for polling on Srinagar Lok Sabha seat on Monday.
"A total of 17,47,810 lakh voters have been enrolled in phase IV, including 8,75,938 male and 8,71,808 female voters besides 64 third gender electorates. There are around 11682 Persons with Disability and 705 persons above the age of 100 years who will also be exercising their franchise", read a communiqué received from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, J&K.
2,135 polling stations have been set u for the polling in five districts of Srinagar, Pulwama, Budgam, Ganderbal, and Shopian The election staff including Presiding Officers will be stationed in every polling station. In total, more than 8,500 polling staff, including reserve will be deployed on duty on the polling day.
The voting will take place from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm and before that, there will be a mock poll in the polling stations in the presence of the polling agents. Also, the voting will continue even after 6.00 pm, if the voter's queue is still there in the Polling Station premises to exercise their right to vote.
There will be 20 polling booths managed by women (also called pink polling stations), 18 polling booths manned by specially-abled persons, and 17 by youths.
Also, there will be 21 green polling stations in order to spread the message about environmental concerns. The purpose behind this special polling station is to spread awareness among sections of society like women, specially-abled, and first-time young voters to come forward and exercise their right to vote.
