Braving cold weather conditions, people are coming out in large numbers to cast their votes in the fourth phase of polling in all the 18 Assembly constituencies spread over four districts in Jammu & Kashmir. Despite poll boycott call by separatists, people are defying the diktats of separatists and are coming out to exercise their franchise.

By 10 am, 10.27 percent polling was recorded in the 18 assembly segments. Pahalgam assembly segment in Anantnag district recorded maximum 14.91% polling by 10 am followed by 14.53% in Dooru assembly segment of Anantnag district where state Tourism Minister and senior Congress leader Ghulam Ahmed Mir is contesting. Sonawar assembly segment in Srinagar district where J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is contesting this time recorded 9.13% polling till 10 am.

Omar Abdullah was among the first to exercise his franchise at a polling station set up in a missionary school at Sonawar. Long queues could be seen outside the polling stations in all the constituencies. Police officials said, the voting across the 16 constituencies of the Valley spread over three districts, was going on peacefully with no untoward incident reported so far. Stringent security arrangements have been put in place to ensure incident-free polling across the Valley

AIR Srinagar correspondent reports that there is great enthusiasm among the voters, particularly, the first timers, and long queues of voters are seen outside the polling booths. Women voters wearing their traditional dress “Pheran” and having Kangri or Firepot beneath the pheran were seen waiting in queues to exercise their franchise.