Campaigning for Srinagar Lok Sabha bypoll ends

The campaigning for the bypoll to Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency ended today even as Election authorities here reviewed the preparedness for polling on Sunday.
The campaigning for the Srinagar constituency remained low key affair with political parties holding fewer election rallies and instead relying on smaller meetings to reach out to the electorate.
Opposition National Conference president Farooq Abdullah is among nine candidates in the fray for the polls to be held on Sunday.
However, the former chief minister will face a virtual direct contest with ruling PDP's Nazir Ahmad Khan.
More than 11.72 lakh voters, spread across three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal are eligible to exercise their franchise on over 1500 polling stations this Sunday.

The bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of then PDP leader Tariq Hameed Karra from the Lok Sabha in September last year to protest against the "atrocities" against the Kashmiri people by security forces during the summer unrest triggered by killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani in an encounter in July last year.

Karra, who recently joined the Congress, had defeated Abdullah three years ago but is now supporting the National Conference president following the agreement between the two parties.
The voter turn out in 2014 polls was 26 per cent in Srinagar constituency, slightly better than 25.55 per cent recorded in 2009 elections.

Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer Shantmanu today chaired a meeting to finalize arrangements made for polling in Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency.
The meeting was attended by Returning Officer Srinagar, DIG, District Electoral Officers of Budgam and Ganderbal, SSP Security while ARO Migrants Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi participated in the meeting through video conferencing.
The CEO called on the officials to ensure all facilities are in place and the infrastructure is in best possible shape so that electorates do not face any problems in exercising their franchise in the forthcoming bye-elections.
The meeting was informed that third phase of randomization of poll staff, final check of all EVMs, transport and logistics facilities for poll staff to the Constituency have been completed.

During the meeting, the CEO directed the District Electoral Officers to dedicate a core team on a full time basis for election duties for the next two days.
Regarding the adverse weather conditions, he directed the officials to check all polling stations to address water-logging issues.
He also took stock of arrangements made at the Model Polling Stations in the three districts comprising the Parliamentary constituency.
The CEO also reviewed the security arrangements made for hassle free and smooth conduct of the elections.
He was informed that adequate security personnel have been deployed to deal with any security eventuality and to ensure and free and fair elections.

All distribution cum collection centres and strong rooms have been sanitized, the meeting was informed.