Police have beefed up security in Kashmir, ahead of general election in Jammu and Kashmir, to keep a close vigil to prevent any untoward incident and ensure safe and peaceful polls.
Authorities have been making extra security arrangements for Srinagar which would go to polls on April 30.
Kashmir has a chequered history where a two-decade long insurgency affected the normal functioning of the administration and there have been allegations of election rigging in the past.
16 candidates are in poll fray for Srinagar constituency, which is spread over three districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal and Budgam.
Security agencies have declared 66 percent polling stations as hypersensitive and 27 percent sensitive in the city.
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"Out of total number of these polling stations 1546, this has been ascertained by the security agencies and the magistrates, the number of hypersensitive polling stations is 1021, sensitive polling station in all the three districts is 470 and normal is 55. And number of locations in these 1546, in some buildings there are two or three polling stations. The total number of locations is 968. Out of that in the urban area we have 467 locations and in rural 501," said Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar, Farooq Shah on Sunday.
Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary seat has 11,71,772 eligible voters.
Shah further added that poll arrangements are done keeping in view the model code of conduct and other facilities like experienced observers for each assembly segments, video surveillance teams and flying squads have also been allotted for each segment.
The residents are ready to cast their vote but with the hope that the candidate they elect this time will resolve their problems.
According to locals no development has taken place since last election in Srinagar whether it is drainage system or unemployment.
"Till now whoever we have chosen, they have not done anything for the valley. They have always betrayed us," said a resident, Mukhtar Ahmad.
