Srinagar: Elaborate security arrangements have been made in the Srinagar constituency which is all set to go for voting in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections on Monday.
The police officials said that strategic deployment has been done particularly at and around 2,135 polling stations in 1,323 locations across 19 Assembly segments spread over five districts-Srinagar, Ganderbal, Budgam, Pulwama and Shopian.
As, for the first time in over three decades, no separatist political or militant organization has issued election boycott calls, the authorities anticipate far higher turnout than recorded in previous elections.
Srinagar has 17,47,810 voters. Though there are as many as two dozen candidates, mainly independents, in fray, Srinagar is virtually witnessing a triangular contest between former minister and National Conference (NC) nominee Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s key face Waheed Ur Rehman Para and J&K Apni Party’s Mohammad Ashraf Mir.
Meanwhile, all the three parties have accused the police and other law enforcing agencies of harassing and even detaining their workers and intimidating their supporters to keep them away from the ballot.
Mr. Mehdi told a hurriedly called press conference here, “Our workers are being picked up by the police since yesterday (Saturday). Many were called to the police stations where they have been detained without signing any reason. We have sent their names to the ECI.”
He said that through media he wanted to convey to the ECI that in the post-August 2019 scenario in J&K, the local population’s trust in and respect for the democratic institutions have declined and their hope shattered “yet we are trying to use the democratic space to reach out to the people and encourage them to express their view through such democratic institutions only.” He added, “What is, however, unfolding on ground under the nose of the ECI forces us to ask it, the state and the establishment if they are really serious about these institutions and functioning of democracy?”
Former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday flashed a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar seeking his intervention towards “preventing repetition of the 1987 (J&K Assembly) election rigging and the state-sponsored intimidation” in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.
She has alleged that the J&K administration which, she says, is under the control of the Union government is “shamelessly engaged in activities aimed at intimidating voters and supporters of the PDP.” The letter says, “I am writing to you with a profound sense of urgency and grave concern regarding the troubling developments in the run-up to the elections in the Srinagar constituency…I am deeply troubled by reports of security agencies conducting raids and harassing PDP workers in Pulwama and Shopian districts.”
Mr. Mufti claimed that numerous PDP members, activists and sympathisers have been arbitrarily detained “without justification and apparently as punishment for their efforts to organise public rallies and encourage voter turnout.”
She further alleged that the situation has escalated to a point where the security establishment is “instilling a climate of fear in the areas slated for elections on May 13.” She alleged that this appears to be a direct result of “public threats” made by J&K Apni Party “which has openly called for the arrest of PDP supporters.”
Both the PDP and NC have in their election campaigning called the J&K Apni Party of being ‘B-team’ of the BJP, the charge vehemently denied by it. Ironically, the J&K Apni Party too has accused the police of harassing and even detaining its workers ahead of the polling.
The ECI said that it has taken a strong cognizance of the reports of alleged intimidation of political workers. Chief Election Officer J&K, Pandurang K Pole, in a post on ‘X’ said, “On social media, there have been some grievances of alleged intimidation of political workers of certain parties and the use of Section 144 Order. The ECI has taken cognizance of the matter”.
The CEO said that he has talked personally to political leaders and wanted to clarify that, as per rules, orders under section 144 are issued in all districts, for the last 48 hours (silence period of campaigning) and accordingly these orders were issued in Udhampur and Jammu LoK Sabha constituencies earlier and are now issued for all districts of Srinagar constituency, including Pulwama.
“So far as permission for rallies and political meetings is concerned, during the entire period under the Model Code of Conduct, which starts with the announcement of elections by the ECI, special permissions form the concerned authorities are mandatory. These permissions are being issued without any discrimination and in an online mode through the centralized ‘Suvidha Portal’. Candidates are advised to consider the security concerns of specific areas”, he added.
