Poll percentage shows NC, Cong may surge ahead of Mehbooba in Ang’s 4 assembly seats

Srinagar: Lowest turn outs in PDP’s strongholds and higher turn outs in strong bastions of National Conference and Congress show that National Conference and Congress candidates may surge ahead of PDP President Mehbooba Mufti in at least four of the six assembly segments of Anantnag district which went to polls on Tuesday, April 23. Three others districts of Anantnag parliamentary constituency are scheduled to go to polls on April 29 and May 6.
Lowest turnout of 0.4% with 1905 votes in Bijbehara assembly segment the home constituency of PDP President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti followed by second lowest turnout of 3.47% with 3004 votes in Anantnag assembly segment represented in the previous assembly by Mehbooba Mufti herself has brought National Conference candidate Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi and his Congress rival Gh Ahmad Mir into a close contest apparently pushing Mehbooba Mufti to third position in the phase I of the three phase polling in Anantnag district of the Anantnag parliamentary constituency but still polling in three other districts schedule to be held on April 29 and May 6 would show a clear picture of the closely fought contest in Anantnag parliamentary constituency.
General feeling brewing up among the people is that while lowest turn outs of 0.4% with 1905 votes in Bijbehara assembly segment the home constituency of PDP President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and 3.47% turn out with 3004 votes in Anantnag assembly segment represented in the previous assembly by Mehbooba Mufti herself are a severe blow to the candidature of PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, the highest turnout of 20% with 17649 votes in Pahalgam assembly segment the National Conference stronghold could put National Conference candidate Justice (Retd.) Hasnain Masoodi ahead of Congress candidate Gh Ahmad Mir in the first phase of Anantnag parliamentary constituency in Anantnag district as in two other assembly segements Kokernag and Shangus National Conference, Congress, and PDP are expected to share almost equally the total votes polled in both the assembly segments. For Congress candidate Gh Ahmed Mir his home constituency Dooru is the only assembly segment which would probably give him a comfortable majority over PDP President Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference candidate Justice (Retd) Hasnani Masoodi. Interestingly the total number of votes polled in Dooru assembly segment is 13598 which is 17.28% of the total electorate while number of votes polled in keenly fought contest in Kokernag assembly segment is 18234 votes that shoots up the turn out to 19.41% and 13354 votes polled in Shangus put the turn out at 15.1%. The total number of eligible voters in Anantnag district comprising six assembly segments is 5, 27,154 and the total number of votes polled this time 67744 puts the turnout at 12.85%.