BIJBEHERA: Mohammad Aslam felt the ground shake when a grenade hurled by Kashmiri militants exploded during voting in one of the most troubled parts of occupied Kashmir.
"I fell down. I was taken to the hospital where I saw two of my friends bleeding," said the 33-year-old businessman, soaked in blood as he lay in bed surrounded by sobbing relatives.
Kashmiris voted on Wednesday in Anantnag district, one of 83 seats being contested in the second last round of a five-stage election. "These elections always bring trouble for us, this election has been imposed on us," said Farooq Ahmed, a relative of Mohammad Aslam.
Soldiers with automatic weapons patrolled the streets of Anantnag and sharpshooters watched from rooftops as the town shut down in response to a strike called by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC). Militants have urged voters to boycott the poll.
Violence generally flares during elections in held Kashmir, and Wednesday was no different. At least one person was killed and several wounded in a spate of grenade attacks in picturesque Anantnag. The area, known for its apple orchards, is surrounded by snow-capped peaks in one of the most beautiful regions in the world.
As in the past, most polling centres were empty and by noon barely three per cent of the nearly one million voters had cast their vote in the constituency, the only seat in the region contesting this round.
New Delhi sees the election as another step toward affirming the legitimacy of its rule in the occupied territory.
"TOO SCARED TO VOTE": Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed cast his vote in a polling booth in Bijbehera town several hours before militants hurled a grenade at a voting centre ringed by razor-wire.
"People are scared to come out and vote. Secondly there is less interest in a parliament election," Mufti Sayeed, whose daughter Mehbooba Mufti, was contesting the poll, told reporters.
Mehbooba Mufti is a popular leader of the held state's ruling party whose campaign has been overshadowed by allegations of intimidation after she lifted the veil from a Muslim voter in the third round.
The election commission is investigating the incident. Posters warning people not to vote in the election appeared in Anantnag town and its outskirts. -Reuters
