Polling remained peaceful on Wednesday amid a low turnout of voters in Anantnag assembly constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, India where Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is contesting a crucial electoral battle amid boycott call by separatist groups and militant outfits. An official of the Election Commission said that 28 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm. Earlier, fewer people lined up outside polling stations as the voting began at 7 am. A mere 4 per cent turnout was recorded during the first one hour. But the morning's shy trickle of voters gradually changed into small queues in rural areas even as the turnout in urban areas was still very low.
After she was sworn-in as Jammu and Kashmir's first woman chief minister on April 4, it became mandatory for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader to become a member of either house of the bicameral legislature. Anantnag was represented in the 87-member assembly by her father and late Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed till he passed away on January 7. Indian Police and paramilitary forces were deployed in strength to prevent militants from interfering with the election process.