Battle lines drawn for 4th phase polling in J

Srinagar, Nov 21 (UNI) With the withdrawal of 12 candidature, the battle lines for seven Assembly segments, going to polls in fourth of the seven-phase elections in Jammu and Kashmir on December seven, has been drawn, official sources said today. Twelve candidates, mostly from different political parties, withdrew their candidature on the last date of withdrawal, which ended yesterday afternoon.

They said 117 candidates had filed their nomination papers for seven Assembly segments of Uri, Rafiabad, Sopore, Sangrama, Baramulla, Pattan and Gulmarg in north Kashmir district of Baramulla.

However, after the withdrawal by the candidates, there are now 105 contestants in the fray.

Giving break-up, the sources said in Uri constituency, four candidates withdrew, leaving 13 in the fray and in Rafiabad all the nine candidates decided to fight it out.

In Sopore constituency, the strong hold of breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, out of 28 candidates, four withdrew their candidature while in Sangrama, only one candidate went for withdrawal out of 20 candidates, who had filed their nomination papers.

In Baramulla and Gulmarg 12 and 15 candidates, who had failed their nomination papers respectively remained in fray.

But in Pattan constituency, three candidates went for withdrawal, leaving behind 13 candidates in the fray.

The authorities have decided to set up 707 polling booths for an electorate of 5,18,963 voters, including 2,49,982 women.

The highest number of 117 polling station will be set up in Sopore, followed by Uri, bordering Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), 110, Gulmarg 109, Baramulla 107, 91 each in Rafiabad and Pattan and Sangrama 82.

Almost all these polling stations are sensitive or hyper sensitive.

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