Enthusiastic voters line up outside polling stations in J&K's Srinagar LS seat

Srinagar, May 13 (IANS) Polling started on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency as voter lines were seen in many polling stations, including the old city area of Srinagar city.

Braving an overcast sky, voters came out in large numbers in Pulwama, Kangan, Ganderbal, Budgam, and Pampore areas to exercise their franchise.

This is the first election in Kashmir after 1987 when the separatists have not called for a poll boycott and even in the once perceived hotbed of separatist sentiment in the Valley, the old city areas of Srinagar, voters came out without any fear to cast their vote.

Authorities have made elaborate security arrangements to provide a fearless voting environment to the people.

Despite a large number of security forces deployed in the entire constituency, there is no tension or fear anywhere in the constituency.

At many places, smiling voters exchanged greetings with the deployed troopers with some even displaying their fingers to show the indelible ink mark.

There are 17,47,810, including 8,75,938 males, 8,71,808 women, and 64 third-gender voters in the constituency.

The Election Commission has set up 2,135 polling stations, including 1,004 urban and 1,131 rural, in the constituency.

There are 24 candidates in the fray in this constituency. Although the main contest is between Syed Ruhullah Mehdi of the National Conference (NC), Waheed ur Rehman Parra of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), and Mohd. Ashraf Mir of the J&K Apni Party.

The voting started at 7 a.m. and will end at 6 p.m.

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