Anantnag: 22.02 per cent polling till 3.30 pm

(JK), April 24: Polling started picking up in most parts of the south Kashmir's

parliamentary constituency, but remained affected in Pulwama district which recorded a low voter turn-out of 2.71 per cent in the first four hours of polling on Thursday.

Anantnag district recorded 22.02 per cent of polling till 3.30 pm, while Kulgam recorded 14.12 per cent, an official spokesman said. He said Pulwama recorded 2.71 per cent, while 8.66 per cent of votes were polled in Shopian district.

Polling had to be briefly stopped at a polling station in Koil in Pulwama this morning after some persons pelted stones on the booth, prompting police to fire warning shots.

No one was injured in the clashes and the polling at the station was resumed a short while later, officials said.

Although 12 candidates are in the fray for this Lok Sabha seat spread over 16 Assembly segments in the four districts, the contest is expected to be a direct fight between ruling National Conference candidate Mehboob Beg and opposition PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.

Of the 16 Assembly segments, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLAs represent 12, the Congress two and the National Conference (NC) and the CPI-M one each.

Stone pelting by irate protesters in many places in south Kashmir's Pulwama district of this Lok Sabha seat Thursday prevented voters from reaching polling stations.

IANS