Indian-controlled Kashmir polls sees 71 percent turnout in 2nd phase

Around 71 percent of voters Tuesday turned up to exercise their franchise in the second phase of polling for local elections in Indian- controlled Kashmir amid tight security, officials said.

Clashes and youth protests were also reported in some villages of Kulgam district, south of Srinagar city - the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, in support of boycott of the elections.

"Around 71 percent electorate have exercised their franchise in the second phase of polling across 18 constituencies of five districts today,"Chief Electoral Officer Umang Narula told media in Jammu, the region's winter capital.

Authorities had made stringent security measures to ensure a hassle-free polling. Thousands of policemen and India's paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were deployed in the poll bound areas to prevent disruption of polls.

Voters, including women, defied the separatist and militant boycott call and turned up in thousands across the designated constituencies including frontier Kupwara to cast their votes.

Indian military Tuesday claimed three militants were killed while trying to infiltrate near Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara.

Reports pouring in from Qaimoh, Khudwani, Rampora and Radwani villages falling in Home Shalibugh Assembly constituency said youth threw stones and brickbats at the government forces to show anger over the voting. The government forces fired tear shells to chase the protesters.

The clashes disrupted voting to a large extent in and around these villages and mere 36.5 percent turnout was recorded in the constituency.

According to Indian election commission, over 1.5 million voters were eligible in the second phase with 175 candidates in the fray.

The authorities had set up 2,181 polling stations.

Separatist groups and militants opposing New Delhi's rule in the region reject Indian elections and urged people to boycott the voting.

Ahead of the second phase, militants killed a rural body head and wounded another in two separate attacks.

Police officials said such attacks from militants were aimed at forcing people to boycott the elections.

Police have detained several separatist leaders and dozens of their supporters ahead of elections to prevent them from launching poll boycott campaign.

With the culmination of second phase, elections in the region are now likely to be conducted in three remaining phases.

Indian-controlled Kashmir is a Muslim majority region. Though regional parties National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) usually have main role in government making, this year Bhartiya Janta Party is aiming at winning 44 plus seats in the 87- strong assembly (lawmaking body). Congress party too has a support base in the region.

The right-wing Hindu nationalist BJP banks heavily on Narendra Modi's charisma and is aggressively promoting it through an aggressive campaign in print and electronic media to lure region's voters to achieve what it describes as "mission 44 plus" in the restive region.

India has send 520 additional companies of paramilitary troops to strengthen the security grid during the elections.