Shillong, May 9: J&K’s Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency has always been a high-profile constituency and the contest this time promises a significant upswing in voter turnout.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the voter turnout was only 14.34 per cent in the constituency.
During the poll campaign this time, political parties have held public meetings in old Srinagar city area which was once believed to be the hotbed of the separatist sentiment in Kashmir. This is a positive sign for democracy.
The way people have been attending public meetings of various political parties in the Srinagar constituency during this election indicates that the voter turnout would be fairly high as compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha poll in the constituency.
There are 17,44,027 voters in the Srinagar constituency including 8,74,048 male, 8,69,916 female and 63 third gender voters.
ECI has set up 2135 polling stations including 1004 urban and 1131 rural polling stations.
Among the voters in this constituency, there are 1683 PwD voters with 40 per cent disability, and 9,622 senior citizen voters above 85 years of age including 4,926 male and 4,696 female senior citizen voters.
There are 24 candidates including Syed Ruhullah Mehdi of the National Conference (NC), Waheed ur Rehman Parra of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mohd Ashraf Mir of J&K Apni Party, Amir Ahmad of Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), Mohd Yousuf Bhat of Gana Suraksha Party, Hakikat Singh of National Panthers Party, Rubina Akhter of the National Loktantrik Party, Younis Ahmad Mir of the Bharat Jodo Party, and 16 independent candidates are in the fray.
Voting segments of the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency are the Srinagar, Ganderbal, the Pulwama districts, three areas of the Budgam district and two of the Shopian district.
Ganderbal district has two assembly segments, Kangan and Ganderbal. The total number of voters in Ganderbal district is 2,04,041, 77,537 of whom are in Kangan and 1,26,504 in Ganderbal assembly segments.
In Srinagar city, there are 8 assembly segments including Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Eidgah, and Central Shalteng with 748863 voters.
Three assembly segments of Budgam district, Khansahib, Chadoora and Chrar-e-Sharief are also part of the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.
Two assembly segments of Shopian district, Shopian and Zainpora with 98 933 voters are part of the Srinagar seat.
Pulwama district has four assembly segments Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, and Rajpora, with 4,03,192 voters.
The constituency goes to vote on May 13 and the main contest is going to be between Syed Ruhullah Mehdi of the NC, Waheed ur Rehman Parra of the PDP and Mohd Ashraf Mir of J&K Apni Party. (IANS)
