Its status quo for Srinagar voters

Similarly,Amirakadal another high profile constituency where Hizbul Mujahideen operational chief Mohammad Yusuf Shah alias Salahu Din contested polls in 1987,recorded a voter turnout of 4.96 percent in comparison to 14.95 in the last assembly elections.

In the assembly segment of Khanyar which is represented by National Conference stalwart Ali Mohammad Sager,the poll percentage was 7.34. The constituency had witnessed a 17.41 polling percentage during the recent assembly polls.

The other assembly segment Iddgah which had recorded a voter turnout of 22.07 percent during the assembly elections polled only 7.50 percent.

The other four assembly segments Hazratbal,Zadibal,Sonwar and Batamaloo crossed the double digit percentage. Sonwar like the assembly polls recorded the highest voter turnout in Srinagar district.

The poll percentage on Thursday polls in Hazratbal,Zadibal,Sonwar and Batamaloo was 14.05,12.84,25.24 and 12.87 in comparison to 28.89,17.30,36.61 and 20.51 respectively.

In central Kashmir’s Budgam district,the four assembly segments recorded a total voter turnout of 37 percent in comparison to 62.41 in the December assembly polls.

The highest voter turnout in Budgam district was recorded in Chrar-e- Sharief,the constituency represented by another NC stalwart and J-K’s Finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather. Chrar-e-Sharief recorded a voter turnout of 56 percent which was still less than what the constituency had recorded in the assembly polls. The poll percentage in assembly polls was 74.59.

The Shia dominated assembly constituency of Budgam recorded a poll percentage of 29 percent in comparison to 55.17 in the last assembly polls. Budgam is represented by NC in the state assembly. The other three assembly segments Chadroo,Beerwa and Khansahib recorded a poll percentage of 33,35 and 33 in comparison to 53.79,57.17 and 74.65.

In the two assembly segments of Ganderbal district which is considered as the National Conference headquarters- the poll percentage was 44 compared to 59.46 in the last assembly elections. NC patron Shekih Muhmmad Abdullah and his heirs,both Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah,fight elections from the same constituency for decades now. Omar won the Assembly polls from Ganderbal after defeating former PDP minister Qazi Mohammad Afzal.

In the Thursday polls the Ganderbal assembly segment witnessed 34 voting in contrast to 51.79 in last assembly segments. The Gujjar dominated Kangan constituency recorded a voter turnout of 44 percent which was 59.79 percent in the last assembly polls.