Srinagar: About 30 per cent of the electorate in 28 constituencies voted in the second phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections on September 24, which was peaceful as Srinagar witnessed a low turnout compared to Jammu.

Voting held amidst tight security and in the shadow of overnight violence was dull in Srinagar while the adjacent Budgam district and Jammu recorded a good turnout.

According to initial estimates, the voter turnout in the 13 constituencies of Jammu averaged 40 per cent. Budgam attracted 35 per cent of the eligible voters for the five segments while Srinagar recorded over 10 per cent polling in its 10 constituencies. An electorate of 22 lakhs was eligible to vote.

"No big incident was reported. Polling today was by and large good," said Pramod Jain, Chief Electoral Officer of J&K. He said authorities did not expect a high turnout like in the first phase when an estimated 47 per cent voted.

Heavily armed militants attacked a polling station in Chandoora constituency of Badgam district but made a hasty retreat in the face of quick retaliation by CRPF (Central reserve Police Force) personnel. There was no report of casualty.

National Conference (NC) president and Chief Ministerial candidate Omar Abdullah, a number of state ministers are among the 263 candidates whose fate was sealed in today's polling.

The voting was markedly lower in Srinagar in the wake of Hurriyat's call for boycott and a general strike, which saw the city wore a deserted look. Acting chairman of JKLF (Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front) Javed Ahmed Mir was detained in uptown Srinagar along with his supporters after they attempted to take out an anti-poll rally.

PTI