Bypolls are underway in two Lok Sabha Constituencies — Anantnag and Srinagar — on Sunday. The by-poll election in Srinagar is fraught with violence as stone-pelters tried to disrupt peace during the polling.
Stone-pelters and security forces clashed during the ongoing polls leading to death of three youths. The security personnel used pellet guns to disperse the protesters.
Opposition party National Conference (NC) had criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying either terrorism or tourism could sustain in the Valley. BJP is in alliance with People Democratic Party (PDP), which is in power in J&K.
The separatists have earlier called for an election boycott.
There are no female candidates in the two LS constituencies.
Contenders for Srinagar
From NC, Farooq Abdullah is contesting the election. The 81-year-old veteran politician is the oldest candidate in the fray. The youngest candidate is a 25-year-old software engineer Mehraj Khour Rashid Malik.
The other bigwig in the contest is ruling party's candidate Nazir Ahmad Khan. Interestingly, Khan has not declared his PAN number or income tax returns of his or his family's.
While Abdullah is one of the richest candidates with a declared wealth of more than Rs 13 crores, Khan's is less than Rs 20 lakhs.
Malik, one of the independent candidates, has declared his assets worth Rs 51,000.
None of the three candidates have any criminal records.
Candidates in Anantnag
People's Democratic Party and Congress have fielded candidates in Anantnag. From PDP, Tasaduq Mufti, Mehbooba Mufti's brother, is contesting elections for the first time, against senior politician Ghulam Ahmad Mir.
Both candidates have no criminal cases and are from affluent backgrounds.
Mir had said the government has not provided an amenable environment to hold rallies. He had to call off two rallies on March 28 where people were protesting against the killing of two militants.
Tasaduq, a new entrant to politics, is an award-winning cinematographer.
