Security beefed up in Srinagar ahead of polling

SRINAGAR: Authorities have beefed up security across Srinagar ahead of the Lok Sabha polls on Wednesday. A large contingent of police and paramilitary forces were deployed across the constituency to prevent terror attacks on Tuesday.

Police said they recovered a suspicious sack under a bridge which created panic in the city. But authorities have made all necessary arrangements for the polling in Srinagar, where from Union minister Farooq Abdullah is seeking reelection.

Officials said polling staff has reported in time and necessary election material was distributed among them in the constituency spread over central Kashmir's Srinagar, Ganderbal and Budgam districts.

Over 12 lakh voters are eligible to vote at 1,546 polling stations. The Election Commission has declared 1,021 of them hyper sensitive, 470 sensitive and 55 as normal.

Three people had been killed ahead of polling in south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency last week and the violence was blamed as one of the reasons for low voter turnout - 28% — there.

A polling official was killed in a militant attack in Shopian after the polling. Three militants, two army soldiers, including a Major, were killed in an encounter a day later.